Jewish Survival Legion Units Patrol High-crime Sections of Boston

Two Jewish sections of Boston, known as high crime areas, are being patrolled nightly by the Jewish Survival Legion’s newly-formed “Citizens Patrols, ” it was reported here today by Allan E. Mallenbaum of Plainview, N.Y., a Legion founder. He said that Brighton and Alston have recently been the scenes of an increased number of muggings, robberies, and attacks on school children. The Citizens Patrols will attempt to act as a deterrent to potential criminal activities, Mr. Mallenbaum declared. “We are concerned and responsible citizens who will act as extensions–as ‘eyes and ears’–of the police force,” explained Rabbi Marvin Antelman, co-founder of the Legion. “We are not vigilantes who will track down or mete out punishment to lawbreakers. That is the job of the police and of the courts.”

Rabbi Antelman disclosed that the persons manning the patrols are experienced and highly responsible people who received their training in the Boston JDL patrols. Patrol captains, Rabbi Antelman added, were skilled in communications, patrol procedures, law and personal self-defense, including karate. He also revealed that several patrol volunteers had obtained pistol permits and “are free to carry their legal arms with them at any time. If they choose to do so on JSL patrols,” he stated, “they will be held strictly accountable to both the law and their patrol commanders for any actual use or misuse of their weapons. Most of these volunteers, however, have had a year or more experience in patrols and there has never been any incident,” he added.

The JSL patrols will not interfere with or duplicate the efforts of the Jewish Defense League’s Boston patrols, since the JDL’s protection efforts are concentrated in the Mattapan area of Boston rather than in Alston and Brighton where the JSL’s patrols have been initiated, he said. Asked whether the JSL would work with the Jewish Defense League at all on street patrol projects. Mr. Mallenbaum declared: “We are willing to work with any group that will work effectively for the protection of the community and within the framework of the law.” He added that plans were now being formulated to expand JSL Citizens Patrols into certain areas of New York City.