[PHOTO LINK BELOW] Middletown, NY – The summer is quickly approaching, folks are getting ready to head to the Catskills, and various Askonim are hard at work to ensure a safe summer. To achieve that goal, the annual inter-agency meeting took place on Tuesday at the State Police Headquarters in Middletown, NY. A YWN reporter was privileged to attend the usually closed-doors meeting and reports the following:

The annual meeting, is jointly arranged and coordinated by Rabbi Bernard Freilich, Special Assistant to the Superintendent of the NYSP, and NYSP Troop F Major Rasso. In attendance this year was special guest NYS Homeland Security Director Mr. Thomas Donlon, top brass from the NYSP, Sheriff’s, Under Sheriffs & local Police Chiefs from 5 Counties, the NYS DEC, and their respective Chaplains, Hatzolah and Misaskim.

Each person at the meeting was given an opportunity to address the gathering about various issues of safety, tips, and other items which they would like to see in the summer of 2009.

Below are some of their highlights mentioned at the meeting:

A message was delivered on behalf of the NYSP Superintendent, Mr. Harry Corbitt, who was unable to attend as he did last year. The points in his message to the community were that there would be zero tolerance for speeders, aggressive drivers, people without seat-belts, and talking on cell phones.

He wishes the entire community a safe and relaxing summer. 

The State Police also warned people not to walk on the roadways, and wear reflectors when walking on the roads in the evenings. and discussed the new State Police patrol which has been placed in construction zones. “The troopers are sitting in the construction zones with their radar guns, and people better be following the reduced speed-limits in those zones, or they will be getting ticketed”, Troop F Major Rasso said.

The NYSP urges all camp directors to report anything suspicious, and take down any license plate number which may assist them in apprehending a suspect. “You are our eyes and ears, and we rely on you for crucial and important information in solving many crimes”.

Most important on the NYSP list was the alert regarding the construction which is ongoing on Route 17. There is a temporary traffic pattern which will cause serious delays while heading to and from the Catskills on the weekends. The construction is taking place between exits 118 and 122 in both directions. While traveling towards NYC, drivers will encounter a one-lane construction pattern for a few miles.

The NYSP is urging everyone to leave plenty of extra time from Thursday afternoon through Monday while traveling to and from the Catskill Mountains.

The Ulster County Sheriff Department mentioned their close working relationship with Rabbi Joel Gold – who is the Ulster County Sheriff Chaplain – stating that any issue which may arise is dealt with immediately by their Chaplain. Ulster County Sheriff along with the Sullivan County Commissioner of Public Safety Richard M. Martinkovic, reached out to the community to please educate children what 911 is supposed to be used for. “Last summer was better, but we still get dozens of kids calling 911 to wish a good day”, a 911 operator said.

Another issue which was brought up by the 911 system, is that many camps only have their camp or colony name written in Yiddish or Hebrew – and not English. This can waste precious minutes when the fire department, EMS or police are trying to find your location in the event of an emergency.

While speaking to YWN, Sullivan County Sheriff Michael Schiff told YWN that he is anticipating a safe summer, and is looking forward to a “safe-ride” for the summer months. Along with Undersheriff Eric Schebody, their main concerns are with kids-at-risk attending “floating parties” which involve drugs, drinking, and other serious, dangerous activities. “I understated that there are organizations aggressively working to establish alternative recreational activities for these kids, the Sheriff told YWN. ”I am doing whatever I can on our end to prevent a repeat of some of the unfortunate incidents which took place in previous summers, but my message today is directed towards the parents, and camp directors: KNOW WHERE YOUR CHILDREN ARE AT ALL TIMES.”

Additionally, Sheriff Schiff spoke about the summer of 2008, in which dozens of cars were broken into, and GPS systems stolen. Although arrests were made at the end of last summer, most of these break-ins could have been prevented if folks had just locked their car doors – as the thieves only opened doors which were left unlocked.

The Sheriff also thanked his Chaplain, Rabbi Simcha Bernard for his tireless devotion on behalf of the Jewish community.,

Monticello Police Chief Doug Solomon reminds everyone that Broadway is under construction, and will be throughout the summer. “Please leave yourself extra time on Friday afternoon”.

Fallsburg Police Chief Simmy Williams reminds everyone that there will be officers posted on Main Street directing traffic on the weekends. Please follow their instructions.

Catskills Hatzolah Coordinator Boruch Gibs publicly thanked the law enforcement personal from all agencies – that thanks to these inter-agency meetings, the relationship between Hatzolah and the police is close to perfect. Recalling the summer of 2008, Mr. Gibs said Hatzolah in the Catskills responded to more than 2000 calls – and even with that extra call volume, the cooperation from the police and local 911 was close to perfect.

Mr. Gibs was also very concerned with the recent sightings of many bears in Sullivan County, and addressed his concerns to Carl I. Lindsley of the DEC who was in attendance. He explained how the bear population is growing rapidly. Lindley advised those who spot a bear NOT TO  CALL 911! 911 is only for emergencies, such as bodily harm or life endangerment cases. Additionally, he said that extra care should be exercised to minimize the possibility of bears in public places. Garbage pails on campgrounds and bungalow colonies should be emptied daily, as the bears are attracted to food scraps. Bird feeders also are a significant problem, enticing bears into the area.

Lindsley said they will be cracking down on camps and bungalow colonies which do not properly cover their garbage dumpsters, and have them constantly emptied.

Besides the challenges presented by the bear population, Lindsley said that coyotes, pose a threatening presence, citing the instance where a coyote attacked one person in the state of New Jersey, resulting in wounds that required 47 stitches.

Coyotes resemble German Shepherds, tend to have rabies, and instinctively go after bats and other small pets. If encountered by a coyote, the smart choice of action is to chase it away; they will typically run off.

The NYS Homeland Security Director who was a special guest thanked Rabbi Freilich for inviting him, and also thanked Rabbi Abe Friedman who is the Liaison to the Jewish community on behalf of NYS Homeland Security. The Director thanked them for making him aware of the community’s concerns throughout the State of NY.

He stated that it was an honor and pleasure to see the agencies working together, and thanked all the Askonim for working closely with him since his appointment by NYS Governor Paterson just a few months ago.

Representing Kiryas Joel Rabbi Moses Witriol, the Public safety Director, and Rabbi Morris Steinberg the head of Kiryas Joel Hatzolah – who praised Captain Steven Nevins of the Troop F Monroe Barracks for their close relationship throughout the year – and especially during the summer months.

Over and over, the assembled publicly thanked Rabbi Bernard Freilich for his tireless devotion and hard work on behalf of the greater Jewish Community.

PHOTO LINK: Click HERE for exclusive YWN photos of this meeting [taken by Hillel Engel].

(Yehuda Drudgestein – YWN)