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Oak Park
Responds

Assaults probed.

Shelli Liebman Dorfman

Senior Writer

R

esidents are working
with Oak Park officials to
halt threats and assaults
against members of the Orthodox
community in the area near
Greenfield and Lincoln.
Incidents in the past two months,
including a man beaten near the
Kollel Institute of Greater Detroit,
were not the first. Earlier this year,
after snowballs and rocks were
thrown at congregants outside the
Bais Chabad Torah Center in North
Oak Park, the mayor began meet-
ings with community members,
rabbinic leaders and the city's pub-
lic safety director.
"At that time, I asked for a blitz
of increased police patrols:' Mayor
Gerald Naftaly said. "We had
officers walking undercover on
Shabbos and extended our patrols
of the area. And until the summer,
things were quiet. But now that it
has started again, safety officers are
out there on surveillance'
In response to concerns, the
mayor called a meeting Aug. 22.
"We talked about placing call box
phones at key sites that connect
directly with the police,' the mayor
said. "These would be for those who
don't carry a phone on Shabbos,
who may be approached or see
something they need to report. We
are also looking to organize a block
club or neighborhood watch."
His hope is for everyone to be on
alert, not just the Orthodox com-
munity. He plans another commu-
nity meeting regarding safety.
"We're ready to start:' said Rabbi
Binyomin Adler. "Every time I walk
down the street, I look at the faces.
A rabbi has had his hat knocked
off, another man was accosted in
the face and another had a gun
— possibly a toy gun — aimed at
him. Others were punched."
The mayor said it is suspected
the culprits may be young men,
possibly teens. It is not known
whether the incidents are hate
crimes. One arrest has been made,
but a connection to these incidents
has not been established. I 1

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September 20 • 2007

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