Brooklyn NY – Council Member Simcha Felder (D – Brooklyn) hosted an event on Wednesday evening that brought together administrators from thirty-five yeshivas and representatives of the New York Police Department to discuss ways to improve security at local yeshivas.

“Events like these foster an important ongoing dialogue between school administrators and the NYPD that is absolutely vital to ensuring our children’s safety,” said Felder.

An NYPD detective and one officer took questions and explained methods for heightening security such as improved lighting, locked gates, guards and detailed emergency plans. The NYPD also made itself available to conduct safety evaluations of individual yeshivas. Community members as well as representatives from Shomrim took part in the event.

“When the City isn’t providing non-public schools with the same security measures that they provide public schools, such as security cameras and guards, non-public schools need to be extra vigilant,” added Felder.

Councilman Felder authored legislation introduced in 2008 that would direct the Department of Education, upon the request of a non-public school, to provide children who attend these schools with the same security services made available to children attending public schools.

(YWN Desk – NYC)