Monday, January 25, 2010
Police diversity still a good idea
One police officer's messy resignation and troubled tenure shouldn't deter Ramapo from efforts to increase diversity and bridge a cultural divide in the town. Those lofty goals must endure.
Baile Glauber, who grew up in Ramapo's Satmar Hasidic community and maintains Orthodox Jewish traditions, joined the Ramapo Police Department in 2008. Her hiring was strongly supported by Ramapo Town Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence and the Town Board as a means to build bridges to the Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish community. Missteps by all concerned confounded that aim.
Last week, the town's Police Commission accepted Glauber's resignation and agreed to a $190,000 payout to Glauber, and an additional $285,000 to cover her attorney fees. As part of the resignation agreement, Glauber will drop all legal actions against the town — she had accused the town and Police Department of religious discrimination; the town releases her from any claims.
Glauber's hiring was controversial from the start. The rookie received Fridays off to observe Sabbath, even though another veteran officer, a Seventh-Day Adventist, had not been consistently granted shifts to fulfill his similar Sabbath observances. Glauber also spent much of her tenure on desk duty after she was sidelined by an ankle injury she received during training at the Rockland Police Academy.
Inroads for first responders
Having police and first responders who reflect the community is valuable. Having inroads into varied populations can create more cooperation in police investigations and fire safety, and can save lives. That includes having Spanish-speaking police officers in Orangetown or Creole-speaking officers in Spring Valley. The Rockland County Sheriff's Department hired a Hasidic law-enforcement officer in 1996, a national breakthrough at the time. Though the department had Yiddish speakers, Shlomo Koenig provided a cultural liaison to the insular Orthodox and Hasidic communities. He is now a sheriff's detective and part of the sheriff's Computer Crime Task Force.
http://www.lohud.com/article/20100125/OPINION/1250315/1015/OPINION01/Police-diversity-still-a-good-idea
Baile Glauber, who grew up in Ramapo's Satmar Hasidic community and maintains Orthodox Jewish traditions, joined the Ramapo Police Department in 2008. Her hiring was strongly supported by Ramapo Town Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence and the Town Board as a means to build bridges to the Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish community. Missteps by all concerned confounded that aim.
Last week, the town's Police Commission accepted Glauber's resignation and agreed to a $190,000 payout to Glauber, and an additional $285,000 to cover her attorney fees. As part of the resignation agreement, Glauber will drop all legal actions against the town — she had accused the town and Police Department of religious discrimination; the town releases her from any claims.
Glauber's hiring was controversial from the start. The rookie received Fridays off to observe Sabbath, even though another veteran officer, a Seventh-Day Adventist, had not been consistently granted shifts to fulfill his similar Sabbath observances. Glauber also spent much of her tenure on desk duty after she was sidelined by an ankle injury she received during training at the Rockland Police Academy.
Inroads for first responders
Having police and first responders who reflect the community is valuable. Having inroads into varied populations can create more cooperation in police investigations and fire safety, and can save lives. That includes having Spanish-speaking police officers in Orangetown or Creole-speaking officers in Spring Valley. The Rockland County Sheriff's Department hired a Hasidic law-enforcement officer in 1996, a national breakthrough at the time. Though the department had Yiddish speakers, Shlomo Koenig provided a cultural liaison to the insular Orthodox and Hasidic communities. He is now a sheriff's detective and part of the sheriff's Computer Crime Task Force.
http://www.lohud.com/article/20100125/OPINION/1250315/1015/OPINION01/Police-diversity-still-a-good-idea
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