By COLlive reporter
Kings County District Attorney Charles Hynes announced Tuesday a new initiative to provide a temporary safe shelter for youth in a state of emergency.
Participants will display decals in their store windows identifying them as a designated “Safe Stop” location.
The merchants will make public safety information from the District Attorney’s Office and the New York Police Department available and refer non-emergency situations to the local District Attorney’s Neighborhood Office.
The merchants will be directed to call 911 for emergencies that require immediate medical, police or fire response.
“Sometimes people who need help don’t know where to turn,” District Attorney Hynes says.
“Now, if someone is lost, has a medical emergency, or is a crime victim, they can go into any of these Safe Stop locations where merchants will have all kinds of information and resources for those who need help. They will be trained to know where to refer people and how to help them.”
The idea came up a year ago when Betty Cooney, Executive Director of the Graham Avenue Business Improvement District in Williamsburg, suggested re-instituting in the “Safe Haven” program, an NYPD initiative in the 1990’s.
Child safety awareness has risen drastically since the kidnapping and murder of Leiby Kletzky, an 8 year-old Boro Park Jewish boy who got lost on the way home from day camp.
There are currently 77 Safe Stop locations in Brooklyn: 45 in Sunset Park, 19 in Williamsburg and 13 in Park Slope with plans to add more merchants in other neighborhoods.
Asked by COLlive.com, a spokesman for the DA’s office said Crown Heights locations were not being discussed yet.
Public records do not show a Business Improvement District (BID) operating in Crown Heights, home to 770 – Lubavitch World Headquarters and a Chassidic Jewish community.
The spoksman invited merchants in Crown Heights to join the program on their own by calling the DA’s office.
NUMBER 9 HITS THE NAIL ON THE HEAD….OUT OF THE PAN INTO THE FIRE EXACTLY…
ER, WOULD IT NOT BE QUICKER JUST TO ROUND UP ALL THE PAEDOPHILES IN BROOKLYN???/
Hynes probably wanted an excuse to start this and leiby’s murder was the perfect opportunity. It’s horrible!
we dont need one because we are crown heights and nothing bad can ever happen here
We don’t need a “safe stop” in Crown Heights. The community isn’t that big yet.
can u post a pic of this SafeStop sign?
i think this is correct. there is NO Safe Stop in CH because it ain’t safe here!!!
Why is Crown Heights not included?????
What if a “safe stop” location has a meshuggener working there like Leiby Kletzky’s butcher? What good would that sign do? Will storekeepers and their workers be evaluated before they are just given a sign to place in their window? Didn’t “the butcher” work in a local store?
only as long as you dont stand in the shvil,
#5 +1!!! 🙂
Lets all not forget what charles hynes is doing to shuchat . A miscarriage of justice and playing politics on jewish blood. Hynes is a media lover and has only 1 thought in mind . He loves to be in the media to show he is doing such great work . Why his term is almost up wants to get jewish votes The question is will crown heights not forget how hynes is trully anti semite. There were so many vicious attacks against our people and hynes has done nothing about it Were was he to make a statement in… Read more »
is the biggest safe stop
with a safe stop leiby could have walked in a store to ask directions home or run into another when he suspected something was weird about the man helping him
and if levi aron wore a ‘safe stop’ sign…
but dont forget tracht gut ven zein gut
not just in crown heights it would be a good idea to have these safe stop locations all over the country as well.if it doesn,t happen in brooklyn who knows if it,s going to happen next week in california?