New York – Guardian Angels founder and popular radio host Curtis Sliwa minced no words on his WABC Drive at Five radio program on Thursday afternoon, taking direct aim at the NYPD’s Jewish liaisons and challenging police to reevaluate its coveted chaplaincy positions.
Sliwa opened his program acknowledging that he was going to “make a lot of people unhappy,” but that as a close ally of the city’s Jewish community he felt an obligation to address a situation in need of correction.
“There is nobody outside of the Orthodox and Chasidic community who is closer to them than this goy, this gentile,” said Sliwa, who observed that over the years he has worked hand in hand with Shomrim and many others within the Jewish community.
Sliwa noted that a recent call from a former NYPD lieutenant who had worked in the Borough Park and Crown Heights precincts left him feeling embarrassed by the behavior of certain individuals.
The caller charged that Chasidim from Bobov, Satmar and Lubavitch run the show at the local police precincts in Borough Park, Williamsburg and Crown Heights.
“It’s not anti-Semitic,” said the caller. “It is a statement of fact.”
Left wondering why he was accepting a status quo that allowed police and elected officials to grant favors to those who wield undue amounts of influence, Sliwa took on a wide range of figures, calling Governor Cuomo a liar for saying he knew nothing of the Lincoln Tunnel closure arranged as a favor to Jeremy Reichberg and pointing the finger of blame at New Jersey Governor Chris Christie as well.
Sliwa slammed police for “acting like they have amnesia” when asked about special arrangements and escorts authorized by local precinct commanders and faulted Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino for appointing Jeremy Reichberg who resides in Brooklyn as chaplain for the Westchester County Police after receiving a $25,000 donation.
Sliwa questioned the credentials of many police chaplains, wondering why the NYPD grants special privileges to those who say they are rabbis without furnishing any proof.
“Every second guy is a rabbi,” insisted Sliwa.
Sliwa called on officials at One Police Plaza to establish a special division that would handle all requests for police escorts and challenged the NYPD to revoke all placards and special IDs issued to police liaisons pending further review.
“If they want to reapply, let them all show up with their proper accreditation,” said Sliwa. “I want to know. Where were you a teacher? Where are you clergy? Where were you ordained, whether you happen to be a pastor, a priest, an imam or a rabbi. Why won’t they do that?”
As reported by Vos Iz Neias