Something Smells – Do They Just Want Our Money?

The following is an ‘urgent announcement’ that has been circulating on some websites urging ‘residents and people that care‘ to donate money:

Urgent Plea From Shmira

Crown Heights Shmira is urgently collecting money for two Bochurim who were falsely accused of a crime. Their defense may exceed $25,000.00. We are pleading for you to give what you can. Please do not let two Bochurim be punished – they are innocent.
To give by credit card: call 718-***-****
To give by check: Crown Heights Smira *** Kingston Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11213

Sincerely,

Crown Heights Shmira
Yossi Stern, Coordinator

This seemingly good hearted notice was originally published with the stated reason that “the bochurim do not speak English and need lawyers so they do not get convicted”, yet it gradually changed to another story.

When i called up posing as someone interested in donating I simply asked “what exactly happened to the Bochrim that they need legal aid from an attorney?” which they didn’t have an answer for, they just answered me “its for the organization so we can protect you” so I said “its not what you said in your posts on the internet” the answer I got was “well are you going to donate or not?” and had the phone hung up on me.

When it smells I call it that. Go cheat someone else.

What does it take to run a patrol? A radio and the desire to help, money isn’t a primal factor!

Shmira Member Gets Locked up for Obstruction

On Friday, March 14^th 2008, Chaim Hertzel (17) a member of the Shmira was arrested for interfering and obstructing police officers from carrying out an arrest warrant. Apparently when cops tried to arrest someone Hertzel got in the way by physically blocking them with his body and by taking pictures and videos after he was told not to.

This comes just a few months after he was stripped of his Auxiliary Police badge and ID for calling a false emergency backup call on police radios, he did this in order to attempt and get police to respond ‘faster’ to a Shmira call.

This is just one of the reasons for the Crown Heights Jewish community’s extremely poor relationship with the Police Department. By welcoming young, immature and stupid individuals such as Hertzel into their group.