Pre-Summer Safety Meeting Draws Community Leaders, Law Enforcement Reps and Federal and County Officials

With summer fast approaching, Jewish community leaders met with federal and county officials and members of local law enforcement to discuss safety and security as tens of thousands of families prepare to head upstate for the upcoming summer season.

The June 2nd meeting was hosted by Sullivan County Sheriff Michael Schiff at the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office in Monticello with more than 50 people in attendance, both in person and on Zoom. Among the topics on the agenda were hate crimes, ongoing upstate construction projects, camp security, summer safety and travel awareness.

This year marked the 11th consecutive pre-summer meeting to address issues the concerns of the large Jewish community that vacations upstate during the warmer weather. Opening the meeting by noting that his office would have patrols out throughout the season, Sheriff Schiff thanked participants for their attendance and requested their cooperation in order to ensure the safety and security of all vacationers and campers. Supervisory Special Agent Chris Donohue of the FBI’s Civil Rights Program in New York expressed his agency’s commitment to protecting citizens who are targeted for hate crimes and reminded participants to report any suspicious activity without delay. Sullivan County District Attorney Meagan Galligan said that her office would take swift action on all hate crimes, her words taking on added weight in light of a recent gunpoint invasion of a Monticello Jewish home.

The large turnout from local and county officials and law enforcement included the Albany, Putnam, Saratoga, Sullivan and Ulster county sheriffs, the Putnam, Sullivan and Ulster county undersheriffs, representatives of the Fallsburg, Liberty, Palisades Interstate Parkway, Monticello and New York State police departments, the Bethel and Fallsburg town supervisors and the Sullivan County 911 commissioner.

Community leaders called the meeting a successful one, noting that cooperation and communication are they key to a successful summer season.