Thwarting crime in Cedarhurst

A rash of car break-ins vexed Cedarhurst residents earlier this year and a recent bank robbery on Central Avenue was a reason for concern, but through a partnership between the Rockaway Nassau Safety Patrol (RNSP) and Nassau County 4th Precinct police, the perpetrators of these crimes have been caught or are close to being apprehended.
Extra volunteers are definitely an asset, said Cedarhurst Mayor Benjamin Weinstock . “I think we’ve got a lot of great support from the police, the precinct and the patrols,” he said. “With this amount of security all around, it’s great to have, especially with events such as the terrorism we’re seeing throughout the world.”
The RNSP, a 145-member volunteer patrol group, has existed in the Rockaways for the past four years, and has been expanding into Nassau County, specifically the Five Towns, for the past year. In Queens, the RNSP works in tandem with the 100 and 101st precincts.
Looking to grow, the watch group is seeking funding for more surveillance and patrolling equipment, and more volunteers. With the rash of car break-ins, the RNSP has helped to capture three suspects whom they say have committing those crimes for the past two years.
Sholem Klein, the RNSP director, said it was a great collaborative effort. “We’d been seeing them on video, breaking into cars,” he said. “We worked with the Nassau County Police Department and the Fourth Precinct to apprehend them. It was very difficult to catch them, so we had to be very consistent in our efforts. We did our patrols in unmarked cars, surrounded the perimeter, boxed them in, and that’s how we caught them. We believe these three are part of a bigger operation.”

The thieves had been able to run and hide whenever a patrol got close to them, escaping into residents’ back yards. “When they were caught, they had owners’ merchandise and property from their homes,” Klein said. “One of them had a shopping bag full of several hundred dollars in coins, mostly quarters. He also had electronics and holiday gifts.”
Fourth Precinct Detective James Lorenzen said that while the thieves were caught, it is always a good idea to be extra vigilant, especially around Hanukkah and Christmas. “I call it the ‘Season of Robberies,’” he said. “They do spike during holiday times.”
The Wells Fargo bank in Cedarhurst was robbed on Dec. 6. “We believe they used a getaway car,” Lorenzen said. “The FBI is involved because they used a gun. We are asking nearby stores to help us find the robbers by giving us their surveillance tapes.” The Fourth Precinct has stepped up their patrols throughout Cedarhurst and the remaining Five Towns, from two to four officers each night.”
The RNSP, while not directly involved in the investigation, are providing more unmarked car patrols, Klein said. “The FBI detectives are working on leads,” he said. “They withhold information from us until they have solid, concrete details. They’re investigating and we’re helping them in any way they need us.” For example, from Hanukkah to Christmas every night between two and six in the morning, we have three cars patrolling instead of one or two.
While the RNSP doesn’t arrest people, they provide an enormous service, Weinstock said. “Concerned people in villages taking on a vigilance and responsibility are always a benefit,” he said. “With a personal interest, it yields the best results.”
To request assistance from the RNSP, call their hotline at 917-727-7306, which is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week. They may also be reached on social media on Facebook under their name, Rockaway Nassau Safety Patrol, on Twitter as @rockawaypatrol1, and on Instagram as @RNSP.