This past weekend, two unidentified men were seen taking pictures and attempting to enter two Shuls on Ocean Parkway in Midwood, Brooklyn. While this incident proved to be innocuous, it reinforced the perception that more needs to be done to protect our community’s institutions. Councilman Greenfield is pleased to announce that his multi-year effort to provide security for yeshivas has seen fruition with the scheduling of a hearing on Greenfield’s legislation to take place on Tuesday, April 14th. Greenfield’s bill would provide the same security for yeshivas and other non-public schools that the NYPD currently provides to every single public school.

The bill, Introduction 65, has received overwhelming support from a super majority of the Council: as of today 47 of the 51 members have signed onto Greenfield’s bill. The hearing is scheduled for April 14th at 10am with the City Council’s Public Safety Committee, which is chaired by Council Member Vanessa Gibson, a co-sponsor of the legislation. Before the bill can go to the full Council for a vote, it must be first heard in committee.

“All of New York’s children deserve to be safe and protected when they go to school—not just those who attend public schools. It is time for the Council to pass Introduction 65. We cannot afford to play politics with our children’s safety. We need to get our yeshivas and other non-public schools the protection they deserve as soon as possible before it is too late,” said Councilman Greenfield. Greenfield’s legislation would require the NYPD to assign a school safety agent to any school, public or private, that requests one. Although school safety agents are unarmed, they are trained by and work for the NYPD in full uniform and are equipped with police radios that give them a direct link to the NYPD.

“Keeping our children safe is among our greatest responsibilities,” said Chair of the Public Safety Committee Council Member Vanessa L. Gibson. “Nationally, we have experienced a disturbing rise of bias and non-bias related violence in our schools. In the face of this trend, I am pleased the Public Safety Committee will hear a bill to provide a NYPD assigned school safety agent to both public and non-public schools at the school’s option. Every classroom in New York City needs to be a place for students to learn and grow without fear. Extending these unarmed safety agents to all schools takes a much needed action that will preserve the educational climate the classroom and the security of every student.”

Councilman Greenfield first introduced legislation to tackle this shortcoming in school security in the previous Council in partnership with then Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. who was the Chair of the Public Safety Committee. Greenfield has used his position as senior leader of the New York City Council and a member of the Speaker’s leadership and budget negotiating teams to make this bill a top priority in the Council.

The 14 member Jewish Caucus of the New York City Council has made Councilman Greenfield’s school security bill its top priority for this legislative session.

“Recent events have served as a frightening reminder of the constant threat faced by Jewish institutions here in NYC. As civil servants to this diverse and embracing City, we have an obligation to protect the most vulnerable amongst us. This includes stationing security officers at Yeshivas, Jewish day schools and other private education institutions,” said Council Member Mark Levine, Chair of Jewish Caucus.

(YWN Desk – NYC)