The man wasn’t wearing fancy dress and the knife he was brandishing  – with an 8 inch blade – as well as the evil looking dog were for real. Events played out in Bell Lane, North West London, at 4pm last Sunday afternoon were not part of a Purim shpiel and had it not been for the speedy intervention first of Shomrim North West Community Patrol and soon afterwards of local police officers, the outcome might have been very different.

After the suspect threatened an old man and pursued a woman and a twelve year old girl, Shomrim NWCP were called to the scene. Four Shomrim members approached the suspect and following their instructions and training to the letter, parted him from his weapon by persuading him to put it on the ground and take four steps back. They then surrounded him, held him down and called for police reinforcements who quickly arrived.

Police officers arrested the 21 year old suspect who was removed to Colindale police station. Two members of Shomrim accompanied the police to give statements.

“This was the third occasion this month when we succeeded in preventing a knife from being used as a weapon with the apprehension of the suspects” a Shomrim spokesman told the Jewish Tribune.

Shomrim NW have reason to be proud of their organisation, designed to cope with incidents like this one. Their disciplined reaction to a moment of crisis defused the situation which ended peacefully with the suspect safely in police custody and without harm being inflicted on anyone. A local rov exclaimed “Shomrim NWCP has been zoiche to a great siyato dishmayoh and this year a ness purim unfolded for the people whose lives were in danger”.

(Source: Jewish Tribune – London UK)