“Neighborhood Watch” to Launch

By COLlive reporter

A new Neighborhood Watch initiative will launch at an event on Sunday, March 3rd in Crown Heights, at 8 pm at 310 Crown Street.

The event will launch the formation of a neighborhood watch comprised of unarmed volunteers who will assist in patrolling Brooklyn’s Crown Heights area.

Zaki Tamir, an attorney who heads the local Vaad Hakohol, founded the Neighborhood Watch to add volunteer security patrols throughout the neighborhood in response to a recent uptick in violence in the area, creating anxiety and fear in the community.

Following the announcement of the formation of the neighborhood watch, volunteers from throughout the neighborhood have filled 8 sectors, with each group assigned a leader, who will coordinate the volunteers’ schedules.

25 residents have signed up so far, and many more are needed, Tamir says. The event will serve to educate residents on what they can do to help increase security in the neighborhood.

R’ Yisroel Shemtov, known as the “Red Devil,” a long-time resident and member of the volunteer patrol in the neighborhood, will speak at the event, on “life on the streets, from the 70s to today,” about his experiences on helping to keep Crown Heights streets safe for residents for over 40 years.

To create the Neighborhood Watch, Tamir says he divided the Jewish area of the neighborhood into 15 sectors and is asking for residents to volunteer their time to patrol their sector for specific hours at night by car or on foot.

“If you are able to see, you are able to help; if you have a mouth and a cellphone, you are able to report,” Tamir said.

“We are not here as a vigilante group and don’t want to risk any safety issues,” Tamir stressed. Volunteers of the watch will be asked to “observe and report – whether to Shmira, Shomrim or police, depending on the degree of the individual or circumstance,” he said.

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Here are the sectors planned:

Sector 1 East.
St Johns and Lincoln Place. From Albany to Rochester Ave.

Sector 1 West.
St Johns and Lincoln Place Nostrand to Albany Ave.

Sector 2 East.
Eastern Parkway (both sides) From Albany to Rochester Ave.

Sector 2 West.
Eastern Parkway (both sides) Nostrand to Albany Ave.

Sector 3 East.
Union and President Streets. From Albany to Rochester Ave.

Sector 3 West.
Union And President streets. From Nostrand to Albany Ave.

Sector 4 East.
Carroll and Crown Streets. From Albany to Rochester Ave.

Sector 4 West.
Carroll and Crown streets. From Nostrand to Albany Ave.

Sector 5 East.
Montgomery St and Empire Blvd. From Albany to Rochester Ave.

Sector 5 West.
Montgomery St and Empire Blvd. From Nostrand to Albany Ave.

Sector 6 Includes East/West.
All of Lefferts Ave and Sterling St. (includes Lamont Ct and Balfor Pl.)

Sector 7 East.
East New York Ave and Maple St. From Albany to Rochester Ave.

Sector 7 West.
East New York Ave and Maple St. From Nostrand to Albany Ave.

Sector 8 Includes East/West.
All of Midwood to Winthrop.

All Patrol emails will be forwarded straight to the coordinator for each sector.

Those wishing to participate should email [email protected]. “Write in the subject line which sector you are in. For example, if you live on President and Troy write in the subject “3 East Coordinator” or “3 East Patrol.” If you are willing to be the sector coordinator put the word coordinator in the subject line. Otherwise, write Patrol. In the body of the email write your full name and phone and what hours you are available,” he said.