On September 17, Bergen County Sheriff Anthony Cureton and several members of his team were invited to the home of Anshei Lubavitch’s Rabbi Levi Neubort for a meet and greet. About 20 leaders from various Fair Lawn shuls attended the intimate gathering, including Community Security Service (CSS) representatives along with others involved or seeking to be involved in a safety or liaison role.

Along with Rabbi Neubort, Rabbi Eli Belizon of the Young Israel of Fair Lawn and Rabbi Jeremy Donath of Darchei Noam were also in attendance.

The idea for the meeting began over the summer. A friend of Cureton’s from within the Jewish community had suggested a community outreach/educational effort, with the Anshei Lubavitch Day Camp chosen as the venue. The sheriff, along with his team, explained to the children the duties of the sheriff’s office and offered safety tips. To keep it interesting, demonstrations were given involving the canine unit and the bomb squad. Rabbi Neubort offered his home for a future meeting where adults, particularly those affiliated with shul security, could increase the lines of communication with the sheriff’s office and have their questions answered.

Rabbi Neubort told The Jewish Link that although the sheriff always had a good relationship with the Jewish community in Bergen County, an additional chance for a face-to-face meeting was always welcomed. “It’s always a good idea to have local law enforcement know our needs,” he said.

The sheriff began the meeting by sharing his background. He had served as a police officer in Englewood for 25 years before becoming sheriff, which is an elected position with terms of three years. In that role, he leads a team of over 600 officers and civilians, safeguarding the nearly 1 million Bergen County residents. One of the questions posed later in the meeting regarded the difference between the sheriff’s office and the police forces of the 70 local municipalities comprising Bergen County. His response was that the office, with such a large group of officers, acts as a force multiplier, assisting local law enforcement when requested.

The range of functions under the auspices of the sheriff’s office is quite impressive. Along with assisting local law enforcement, it provides patrols and protection of county roads, oversees such activities as child predator alerts, has a county police swat team, investigates fatal car crashes and has a coroner’s office, and is very much involved in the Bergen County court system. To that end, the sheriff’s office issues court orders, court executions and foreclosures. In addition, Bergen County is one of just two counties in the state with an accredited Criminal Bureau of Investigation.

Regarding their role to assist local law enforcement, Rabbi Neubort related a story from a number of years back when he received a call in the middle of the night from the sheriff’s office informing him that the back door to the Anshei Lubavitch shul was propped open. Rabbi Neubort was asked if he knew anything about it. He didn’t and met the sheriff’s officers at the shul, watching them use infrared technology to determine if anyone was inside. When he later asked the sheriff’s department officers what made them look in the back of the building, they explained that they patrol all synagogues every night following a synagogue firebomb attack in Rutherford a dozen years ago. This is just one example of work the sheriff’s department performs behind the scenes.

Cureton noted that he enjoys correctional and rehabilitative work, adding, “Everyone deserves a second chance.” He spoke of various programs Bergen County has instituted so that inmates are given the opportunity to turn their lives around, including the opportunity to earn a GED degree and to graduate from specific programs ranging from forklift operator to culinary school while in jail. He shared that the county developed a regionalized prisoner plan with Passaic County that began in 2021, and has since accepted 600 inmates from that county for a total of nearly 1,000 in Bergen County correctional facilities. In exchange, Bergen County has received $21 million in revenues, which has resulted in a large increase in manpower, which has also helped to keep taxes low. The ratio of officers to inmates is very high.

As the meeting progressed, the sheriff was peppered with questions covering a wide range of topics. These included the role of the sheriff’s office in addressing a dangerous intersection along Fair Lawn’s Saddle River Road, whether their office should be given the punch codes used to enter each shul, and a general question from a member of the Sephardic Center who asked, “Is there anything we can do to help ourselves?” Answering the last question, Cureton noted: “Once complacency sets in, it isn’t good. If you see something, say something,” adding, “No call is a bad call.”

A key accomplishment of the meeting involved a proposal for a direct line of communication between CSS and the sheriff’s office and providing a greater understanding of the Jewish community’s needs, such as those involving Shabbat and Yom Tov.

At the conclusion of the cordial and productive meeting, Rabbi Neubort thanked the sheriff for his support over the years and noted that an election is fast approaching for sheriff that will once again lock someone in for a three-year term. Looking at the sheriff, he said, “It’s been good. Let’s continue that relationship.”

“I appreciate that,” responded the sheriff.

Robert Isler is a freelance writer who focuses on Jewish issues. He can be reached at [email protected].