It was a windy December night, but the atmosphere couldn’t have been warmer in the OAK Event Space, where the Rockaway Nassau Safety Patrol gathered with friends and supporters for its Appreciation Event. RNSP, also known as Shomrim, brought together its volunteer members, their spouses, and various partners from law enforcement and the community for a gala dinner to celebrate their hard work and connect with each other.

RNSP Shomrim volunteers are regular people, civilians with families and jobs, who sacrifice their personal time and, often, safety to make the Nassau County and Rockaway communities safer places to live and do business. In collaboration with law enforcement, they work to stop and prevent burglaries, car break-ins, and package thefts; run search and rescue operations; locate and return stolen property, including vehicles; proactively patrol throughout the communities day and night, Shabbos and Yom Tov; and assist the community in countless other ways that often go unnoticed. This evening was an opportunity to show them appreciation while enjoying a night out.

Upon approaching the entrance, attendees were greeted by an impressive display of lights from the RNSP patrol vehicles lining the driveway, along with those from related organizations who came to show their support and appreciation for the vital work and dedication of the RNSP volunteers. Once inside, one could clearly witness the unique relationship that RNSP Shomrim members share with law enforcement and other community partners. Dinner invitees included various members of the NYPD’s Major Case Squad, Special Operations Division, Community Affairs Division, Patrol Borough of Queens South, the 100th and 101st Precincts, as well as Nassau County Police Department’s 4th Precinct and their Detective Squad. The RNSP has cultivated a true and rare partnership between their own highly trained civilian volunteers, all levels of law enforcement, elected officials, and other stakeholders in the community.

The food, catered by The Saffron Culinary, was excellent, the decor was exquisite, and the music was top notch. But the real treats of the evening were the heartfelt speeches, followed by the presentation of awards to selected RNSP volunteers, supporters, and law enforcement partners for their exceptional work in keeping our communities safe.

First, guests were honored by a visit from the esteemed Rabbi Eytan Feiner, head rabbi of Knesseth Israel, also known as The White Shul, who shared words of prayer and inspiration to strengthen the spirits of those who give so much of themselves to help the community. Then, RNSP Chiefs Elkanah Adelman and Shmueli Kassover expressed their appreciation for the important work of RNSP Shomrim members and their families, sharing details about the important work that makes them so deserving of this honor.

Mr. Kassover told the stories of two of the highest profile wins for RNSP Shomrim this year. First, he spoke about the famous stolen Sefer Torah that RNSP Shomrim and the NYPD Major Case Squad collaborated to recover, and which is now in the process of being restored. As he spoke, our hearts filled with pride and gratitude that our community has such individuals to liaise with law enforcement. Although the stolen Sefer Torah did not have the monetary value to warrant the engagement of the NYPD’s Major Case Squad, Shmueli was able to powerfully convey the Sefer Torah’s priceless value to the Jewish People, persuading NYPD to utilize their top resources for this important cause. In his words:

“I spoke with Seargent De la Cruz and explained to him the priceless value of a Sefer Torah: What it meant to us, how it’s the instruction manual to our lives, the way we treat it almost as a human life — a funeral if it is destroyed, burying it in the ground the same way we do for a person. If it is accidentally dropped on the floor, the congregation would have to fast for forty days. He was stunned to learn of its priceless value and agreed to take on the case and do everything he could to make an arrest and get the Torah back.”

Kassover also emphasized how his faith played a role in the recovery of the Sefer Torah. While he communicated regularly with the police regarding the developments of the case, he also spoke with his Rav, Rabbi Yossi Weberman, just as often. With his Rav’s reassurance and prayers in one hand, and the efforts of RNSP Shomrim and the police in the other, he felt certain that this ‘highly unlikely case’ could and would be solved. In fact, when the Sefer Torah was finally retrieved, the Seargent pulled Shmueli over to tell him that the likelihood of finding the stolen item and catching the professional crew of perpetrators was so slim that it was surely the power of prayer that brought this case to a successful close.

Another highlight of the evening was the incredible video about the infamous ‘Friday Night Burglar’ who targeted the Far Rockaway, Bayswater, and Nassau communities last spring and summer. We were able to hear firsthand from the victims of the terrible crimes committed, to feel the effects this had on them and their families. Our jaws dropped in horror to learn how a nine-year-old girl woke up in middle of the night to face a burglar in her bedroom. RNSP Chief Kassover made it his mission to call this girl with updates, letting her know that Shomrim was working on it and was going to catch this very bad guy. On the day that this criminal was finally arrested, he was thrilled to call this little girl and let her know this perp would never invade her home again.

The awards ceremony honored both civilians and police officers for their contributions to our community’s safety and security.

As the various members of the police force came up to accept their honors, they expressed their gratitude and admiration for the dedicated efforts of RNSP. The NYPD Major Case Squad, represented by Sgt. Det Harry De LaCruz, Det. Michael Pitkewicz, Det. James Essig, and Det. Chari Minaya, were recognized for their terrific work in recovering the Sefer Torah; Lt. Ryan O’shea, NYPD 101st Precinct Special Operations Lieutenant, was honored for his pivotal role in capturing the serial nighttime burglar; and Det. Lynn Blanchette, Community Affairs officer for the NYPD 101st Precinct, received well-deserved appreciation for her constant devotion to community engagement and safety. Deputy Chief Richie Taylor, Commanding Officer of Community Affairs and the highest ranking Orthodox Jewish police officer ever, came to personally present the Community Engagement Award and to share his support for the incredible collaboration between RNSP Shomrim and the Police Department.

Within the ranks of RNSP, members Shmuli and Roizy Kraus were presented with an award for their exceptional contributions to RNSP. Together, they participate in almost every division of the organization, with a combination of skill and devotion that leaves its impact on the entire community.

The evening was rounded off by an incredible surprise. Guests of Honor Berry and Raizy Weiss, whose exceptional generosity included the sponsorship of RNSP Patrol Car 3 in memory of Raizy’s father, shocked the crowd with the announcement that they will donate another vehicle to the RNSP. This incredibly gracious gift will enable RNSP to further improve local safety with additional marked patrols and participation in community events.

After another opportunity for guests to enjoy each other’s company over dessert, the event concluded outdoors with the inauguration of RNSP Vehicle 4, generously donated by RNSP member Dylan and his wife Daniella Osyatinsky. It is this kind of partnership between kind, appreciative community members and the dedicated volunteers that enables RNSP Shomrim to be so successful in making our communities safer places to live and do business.

It was truly a memorable evening for all.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)