Joel Witriol, the city’s first Hasidic police officer, was sworn in yesterday along with 1,358 other cadets at the Police Academy graduation at Madison Square Garden. “It was an incredible life experience,” Witriol said of becoming a cop. “I am looking forward to serving the community and the city.” He is only the third Hasidic police officer in the nation.
Witriol, 25, of Williamsburg, will be allowed to keep his peyes – the long side locks worn by Hasidic men – looped up over his ears.
He’s been granted exemptions from police hairstyle rules so he won’t have to break his religious vows. He also will be allowed off on the Sabbath and Jewish holy days.
The former auxiliary cop has already joined the NYPD’s Jewish fraternal organization, the Shomrim Society. His brother, Moses, is a police chaplain in Newark.
But Witriol hasn’t figured out what path he wants to take in the department.
“I was thinking about a lot of things before I got in the academy, but there are so many opportunities. I’m not certain,” he said. “First I want to get my experience on the street.”
He’s set to join the Transit Division in Brooklyn, but his first assignment will be the night shift on New Year’s Eve.
Officials said this crop was most diverse class in NYPD history, with one-fifth of the new officers being foreign-born, hailing from 65 different countries.
The class is 46 percent white, 28 percent Hispanic, 17 percent black and 8 percent Asian, – the largest Asian contingent ever.
[Source: NY Post]
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16 Responses
Kol Hakovod!!
He will have a good Honest Parnosoh, and he will be helping people! I’m sure , that down the line, he will be able to help the frum community in a big way. What more could you ask for?
Wild.
Now he can have a rrreeeaaal gun and hendcuffs…vus his drrreeam..
aile barechev…. but a job is a job.
Brocha v’hatzlocha! I am sure he will be able to do good things for the jews in New York.
sounds wierd
It won’t be easy staying frum with a job like this, your exposed to all the dirt in new york,I hope he doesn’t get influenced from his co workers
To the nay sayers out there-
He’ll be Mekadesh Shem Shomayim alot more than the white collar criminals, nebach with beards and payos, filling up jails, who don’t want to put in an honest day’s work, R”L.
TMIMUS-Hey-he’s entitled to do whaever he likes-But theres many jobs which one can put in an “honest days work” without getting exposed-and cought up- to all the garbage out there-besides its very easy for people to blame things he’ll do….on being an orthodox jew..better keep a low profile(and like it says in PIRkEI AVOS-don’t get too close to the government…)
TMIMUS,
Dont exaggarate please! There are ALOT more goyim than Jews but even PER CENTAGE, YOU CAN NEVER COMPARE THE AMOUNT OF CRIMINALS WE HAVE TO THE AMPOUNT THEY AHVE!
nameless has a good point-So some of the yidden have an unjustified problem with white collar crime which we wont get into now (because the YW doesnt have all day to read all this…)because our cost of living is far financially greater…school funding…food…family size….so of course people feel the heat and unfortunately do things like that to make ends meet…But do we rape?kill?drugs?and the rest of the garbage?Not the average jew..you gotta look in perspective.
I’m curious to know thought if he will be able to handlle a criminal offence perpetrated by a Jew in an objective way….
nameless hit the nail on the head…a number of years ago in London England a couple of frimmers joined the police force too….it all ended in tears and they both had to leave in less than desirable circumstances! vehameivin yovin!
Unless he does traffic or environmental, he won’t find himself dealing with too many Jewish offenders.
its very good for him. i know him very well. he’s a good kid. its not so bad! he’ll for sure do alot of goods to us jewish people (if he’ll be able).
have fun
Katlakanya;
What was the story there exactly??