Westchester police chiefs visit Israel for security training ahead of Jewish holidays
A Westchester police chief is sharing how a recent trip to Israel has equipped him with skills to better protect the Jewish community during the High Holidays.
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A Westchester police chief is sharing how a recent trip to Israel has equipped him with skills to better protect the Jewish community during the High Holidays.
Pleasantville Police Chief Erik Grutzner is a member of the Westchester County Chiefs of Police Association.
He and other members of the association were recently invited to Israel to meet with government officials.
"It was great information sharing, we got briefings from their intelligence agencies to kind of let us know how they operate," Grutzner says.
The group traveled with members of a Jewish security group called Community Security Initiative.
CSI security director William Hayes says the group took a similar trip two years ago.
"We landed in Israel on Oct. 6 and, as you all know, on Oct. 7, Hamas attacked Israel, so we had to evacuate the country," Hayes says.
This time, Grutzner says he plans to use what he learned to help protect the local Jewish community during the High Holidays.
"So, we have a very strong relationship with our synagogue and our Jewish community. We're constantly finding out what events are going on and what we can do to keep them safe," Grutzner says.
The season requires extensive planning according to Robert Marshak. He's the security coordinator at the village's only synagogue, Pleasantville Community Synagogue.
"We started preparing for the High Holidays 12 months in advance, ramping it up in the last three months," Marshak says.
As the holidays begin at sundown on Monday, Marshak says his congregation is staying hopeful.
"We're an open and welcoming synagogue, so hopefully no issues," Marshak says.
