By Thomas Tracy
Brooklyn South’s faithful and local police revisited their longstanding and respectful relationship last week during a special clergy conference at Maimonides Hospital. Spiritual leaders from a host of different congregations, including imams, rabbis, priests and pastors from different protestant faiths, gathered the evening of June 16 where they were given quick updates on the different programs and policing procedures Patrol Borough Brooklyn South offers the community when it comes to domestic violence, graffiti, immigration and gang activity. While the relationship between police and the clergy has never been stronger, Assistant Chief Joseph Fox, the commanding officer of Patrol Borough Brooklyn South said it is always advisable to touch base and dust off old friendships. Friendships, Fox said, are a lot like the set of Lionel trains he had as a kid. “You would set up different configurations with the tracks, set them up and turn them on and nothing happens,” he told meeting attendees. “What happens is that rust gets on the terminals between the tracks and there’s no current.” “You have to wipe down the terminals to make sure that everything is running right,” he said. “Our relationship is a lot like those train tracks, every now and again you have to clean them off so we can reconnect.” To Fox, continual communication with the borough’s clergy is integral to policing. “You are the hub of the wheel of every community,” he said. “Clergy leaders are our most important ally contact and friend.” For the rest of the evening, clergy members listened to presentations regarding graffiti vandalism, immigration and gangs. Most importantly, clergy leaders were given names and contact numbers of police and social workers they could contact if one of their flock found themselves with an immigration problem or found themselves involved in a gang. Clergy members also learned who to call and contact if their house of worship is vandalized with graffiti. Helpful information was also disseminated by Dominick Profit, a spokesperson for the Mayor’s office who discussed how the city is responding to domestic violence complaints. As he spoke about the different programs and help centers available to domestic violence – including the new Brooklyn Justice Center, which is set to open at the beginning of next month – Profit encouraged clergy leaders to join the city in their fight. “Together we need to make some type of promise that we need to make critical changes regarding domestic violence,” Profit said. “If we strengthen the communication between the people who run these domestic violence programs and clergy and create some dialogue, protocols and procedures so people will no how to access these programs when they need to, then we together may be able to help someone who may be suffering in silence,” he said. Officials said that last week’s Patrol Borough Brooklyn South’s Clergy Conference was the first of many that will be held in the next few months. Over 150 invitations were sent out to different churches, mosques and synagogues throughout Brooklyn South to attend the conference. Any clergy member in Patrol Borough Brooklyn South wishing to be invited to the next clergy conference can call Patrol Borough Brooklyn South at (718) 287-3259.
