Before even stepping foot in the Jewish Federation of Northern Jersey’s complex in Paramus, it was apparent security at the venue for the evening’s security forum for the Jewish community was to be taken very seriously. Not only was there a visible police presence at the site, but there was a show of force a block before as well, with each approaching vehicle carefully eyed under bright lights. Additionally, those who had not pre-registered were meticulously vetted before being allowed to enter the well-attended forum.
The event itself, which took place from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, December 19, was a comprehensive primer for the Bergen County Jewish community, with law enforcement officials from both the state and local levels addressing the audience.
If there was a common theme among all the speakers, it was that the community must be proactive, report concerns, have law enforcement meet with their constituents and always keep the lines of communication open.
Debbie Gottlieb, manager of the Federation’s Kehillah Cooperative, led the proceedings. First to address the audience was Dennis Calo, Bergen County acting prosecutor. He shared a number of statistics. For instance, in 2018 there were 50 allegations of bias against Jews in Bergen County, in which six people were charged with a crime. Both numbers exceeded the 2017 levels. He spoke of the security assessments offered by the county in which an expert would take a physical tour of the property and then report potential security risks and how they can be overcome. He stressed that many of the fixes are inexpensive. To date, 59 of the 70 Jewish houses of worship have completed these assessments. He encouraged the remaining 11 smaller ones to do likewise. All 13 Bergen County Jewish day schools have gone through the process.
Calo also spoke of grants that were available to these institutions to upgrade their security, with Bergen County receiving the highest award by far in the state, $2.4 million. The limit per individual institution was $150,000, enough to do some serious upgrades. He enlightened the audience by defining what does and doesn’t constitute a bias crime. Strange behavior, including controversial or hate speech, is protected under first amendment rights and does not constitute a crime. However, harassing, stalking or threatening someone is a crime. Juveniles are treated differently from adults, with the goal not to prosecute but adjudicate. Their cases are marked for family, not criminal court.
However, a repeat offense or a heinous crime for those at least 15 years of age will land them in criminal court.
Vered Adoni, Bergen County assistant prosecutor, addressed the crowd, discussing the unit’s growth due to an increase in bias crimes over the years. She ticked off nine categories that could fall under bias, including race, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation and national origin. Echoing the previous speaker, she said, “Not every bias incident is a bias crime,” then defined bias crimes as message crimes, “not committed because of who someone is but what he is.” She added that anti-Semitic incidents have recently become a daily occurrence.
Of interest was that for an act to be considered a bias crime, motive must be proven. This is not the case for most other crimes, although a later speaker noted that it’s also true when claiming that an incident was an act of terror. Adoni’s example involved two people getting into an altercation over a parking space, with one shouting anti-Jewish comments. That’s not considered bias-related, since it was the parking dispute that precipitated the exchange. However, if someone draws a swastika on a door, the motive is clearly one of bias. She said that bias crimes receive stiffer sentences because there are three levels of harm involved, “Harm to the victim, harm to the community who share his/her religion and harm to society as a whole.”
Martin Delaney, Bergen County senior assistant prosecutor, is also a member of the SWAT team and active shooter response. He spent much of his talk on risk and vulnerability assessments of an institution, pointing out that most are low cost or no cost. For instance, electrical panels or low roofs can be protected with padlocks. Someone simply sitting at a table by an entrance and asking a stranger “Can I help you?” will often act as deterrence, as do routine police patrols. He added that 100-120 houses of worship in Bergen County are included in these patrols, and noted a case where a crime was prevented simply by passing by at the right time.
Paramus Chief of Police Kenneth Ehrenberg stressed that establishing relationships with local police before a crime occurs is important. Law enforcement can give advice regarding protection for a community street fair or a High Holy Day service. His recommendation: “You want to be ahead of the curve before something happens.” He also spoke of simple dos and don’ts to maintain security. His prime example was someone who buzzes himself in at a secure facility, then lets the guy behind him in because “it’s courteous and seems to be the right thing to do.” He said, “We must break that habit. Don’t hold the door open for people you don’t know. Otherwise, you’ve just undone all of your security efforts.”
Ehrenberg also stressed the importance of active shooter drills, reviewing the basic rules. He spoke of knowing ways to escape, and if that’s not possible, determining which rooms are secure. He added, “Most active shooters look for people they can easily shoot. They are not looking to kick down doors.”
One of the last to address the audience was Rabbi Avi Heller, regional director for synagogues in New Jersey and Rockland County for the Orthodox Union. He cited the Bible’s Jacob and his approach to security in a time of danger. “You must pray to God, yet do all you can to defend yourself at the same time.” He mentioned the National Security Grant Program (NSGP), which has $50 million in grant money for release in the spring of 2019 via New Jersey Homeland Security. He encouraged audience members representing religious institutions to compose a grant request or have someone, like the OU, do it for them.
By Robert Isler
Robert Isler is a marketing researcher and freelance writer who lives in Fair Lawn. He can be reached at [email protected].
