The black victim of a Crown Heights bias attack said he was astonished Monday to discover that a group associated with his attackers now has close ties to an NYPD-sanctioned civic patrol.
Andrew Charles, a black college student, was reportedly beaten by members of the Shmira Jewish neighborhood patrol in April of last year.
He was outraged to find out Shmira shares members with the new NYPD Civilian Observation Patrol, launched last week by Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly to ease racial tensions in the Brooklyn neighborhood.
“Commissioner Kelly should suspend this patrol unit,” said Charles, 21. At the least, he said, everyone involved in the patrol should have a background check.
Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes empaneled a grand jury to investigate the attack, but the prime suspect – Shmira member Yitzhak Shuchat – is believed to have fled to Israel before he was charged.
Police sources said they received no help from Shmira members in the probe.
“For weeks, we were investigating members of Shmira. Now this same group is invited in, given equipment and the NYPD stamp of approval, and at least one has a criminal record,” a police source said.
The Daily News reported Monday that Leib Skoblo, 33, with Kelly at the group’s launch, spewed racial epithets and punched a black girl in 1995. NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said the department is reviewing Skoblo’s application.
Meanwhile, it was learned that Shmira leader Yaakov Prager pleaded guilty to harassment in 2000. Sources said he was charged with threatening to burn down the home, and sexually molest the wife of a man who complained about Shmira’s tactics.
June 9, 2009 at 9:29 pm |
This whole thing was a train wreck from the start!
It stands no chance!
I think the commish should stop this while he has a chance!
June 10, 2009 at 6:46 am |
the commish know about the story and was acting as a gangster not police commish.
how in the world a fat bully like peter shmukanety got to be c.o. ?
mafia guys mafia blue wall of mafia