Just over two months after the tragic Jersey City massacre, the “who’s who” of top law enforcement officials at the state, county and local level came to Lakewood to collaborate on enhancing security at the governmental and grassroots levels.
Governor Phil Murphy was closely involved in coordinating this summit with the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce. Deputy Chief of Staff of Outreach Deborah Cornavaca represented the governor at the event and spoke of the chief executive’s special affinity for the Jewish community.
“It would crush my soul to know that Jewish communities in New Jersey don’t feel safe,” Cornavaca explained, adding, “When you have advocates like Duvi (Honig) in Trenton, you’re in good hands.”
The summit was held at Lakewood’s historic Congregation Sons of Israel synagogue, which was itself the target of anti-Semitic graffiti in the past. Following a poignant rendition of the national anthem by Cantor Moshe Ney, Lakewood Police Chief Greg Meyer spoke of the groundbreaking opportunity the summit presented for law enforcement at the county and local levels to collaborate with the state’s preeminent law enforcement personalities and resources. “We must partner and work as a team,” he said.
Chesky Deutsch, a Jersey City community activist, presented a special award from the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce to Jared Maples, director of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP). Maples has been exceptionally attentive to the security needs of New Jersey’s Jewish communities, particularly in the aftermath of the Jersey City massacre.
EMS, LCSW, private security vendors, major media outlets and dozens of activists, business owners and school administrators representing diverse New Jersey communities attended the summit. They all emerged with invaluable relationships and resources to protect their families and assets back home. Duvi Honig, founder and CEO of the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce, noted the importance of the community’s collaboration with law enforcement. “There is no better security than for the public to be trained by the pros…We are the best eyes,” he said.
The summit featured presentations from Maples and other top law enforcement gurus, elaborating on how the government can assist businesses and communities in fighting crime, terrorism, hate and cyber threats. Presenters included Andrew Campi, deputy director of NJOHSP; Michael Geraghty, director of NJ Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell (NJCIC); David Kanig, NJOHSP counterterrorism coordinator; Glen Panaro, chief of NJOHSP training and exercise; Gary Furman, deputy bureau chief of grants, NJOHSP; and Patrick Rigby, NJOHSP chief of staff.
“What I see is a beautiful thing,” Furman exclaimed. “We have our local, county and state partners together. That really goes a long way towards building partnerships…against stacks.”
At the summit’s networking session, several vendors and summit sponsors showcased their security-related products and services. These included ID Tech Solutions, which provides IT/cybersecurity and low voltage security (cameras, alarms, door locks, etc.); Perceptage Security Consulting and Training Firm; IronRock Security, a security guard service for schools, residential communities and businesses; Defendry Active Shooter Defense Systems; and EZ Security and Sound, which installs surveillance, security doors and related equipment.
One attendee, John Crisafulli, VP retail regional manager at First Commerce Bank, commented, “Tonight was a very informative security summit…(officials) educated on proactive actions we can take in our workplaces and lives. Thank you Duvi Honig for organizing this event and having our safety at the forefront.”
By Shimmy Blum
