Adequate Police Protection to Be Provided for Synagogues, Religious Institutions

Sebastian Leone, Brooklyn Borough president, said he had been assured by the Police Commissioner’s office that adequate police protection would be provided for the synagogues and other religious institutions in the borough, one of which was attacked during Yom Kippur services. A number of windows of the Adath Sochochow synagogue were broken and six congregants injured when Puerto Rican youths clashed with some of the worshippers. Detectives of the local precinct have been investigating the melee. The borough president, denouncing the “disgraceful hoodlumism.” called on Police Commissioner Patrick Murphy on the matter. He said he had sought assurance that police would not be diverted from Brooklyn to Manhattan because of the large number of foreign dignitaries coming here to mark the 25th anniversary of the United Nations. He said he was told by Chief Inspector Elmer Cone there were no plans “to withdraw personnel from Brooklyn at this time” and that he was “confident we can provide whatever personnel is required for Brooklyn when necessary.” He said he had been visited by a number of Brooklyn rabbis asking better protection for their synagogues. He added that it was “appalling” that Brooklyn residents “are now afraid to leave their homes to attend religious services for fear of purse snatchers and assaults on their persons, even their lives.”