Leiby Kletzky was loved by his community. I am confident the community did not know the incredibly troubled mind of Levi Aron either. I praise them all for their love of each other and care they give their culture. But, they also upheld the law of the USA in calling authorities when they came to a conclusion in regard to Leiby. They did not take the law into their own hands. They are not vigilantes in any form of the definition.
I am not convinced calling the police would not have resulted in any other outcome. This community was in support of the Kletzky family long before the child's remains were found. The community was ready for the worst outcome long before the family was aware of what actually happened to their child. I praise the community for the care they give to each other.
I also praise the city of New York for including the community in a unique capacity to organize and act when problems present themselves. The Shomrim Patrol is included in the infrastructure of New York City which provides them with the best of all outcomes and gives them a way to receive services the community is not able to provide for themselves, such as fire fighters and bomb squads. It also places a limit on the capacity of the patrol where they might inadvertently be in violation of city, state and federal laws. I am confident they receive training from New York's Best, too.
The Shomrim Patrol is necessary for this community. There are cultural barriers authorities would not be able to surmount in a moment's notice for emergencies. The Shomrim Patrol is vital to this community. At the time Leiby went missing I am sure they never expected him to be so brutally murdered. They were anticipating finding a 'tricky new way' for Leiby to meet with friends. The community never expected murder, they expected mischief. Such an outcome would speak to their kind and generous nature when evaluating their community. They have a high level of comfort when problems present themselves. They are confident they understand their community and their children. I sincerely believe Leiby Kletzky would not have been found in two days if the Shomrim Patrol did not exist at all.
I hope the community can heal from this tragedy.
...The search party for Leiby (click title to entry - thank you) grew to as many as 5,000 people and served as a window into the tradition in these ultra-Orthodox communities of relying on one another.
Neighbors looking for the boy stopped knocking on doors Wednesday when his remains were found and police arrestedLevi Aron, a hardware supply clerk who has pleaded not guilty to charges that he killed Leiby and dismembered him.
Despite the tragic end, the search was a powerful example of the value of Shomrim and similar patrols to their communities, said state Sen. Eric Adams, a retired New York Police Department captain who represents a neighboring Brooklyn district.
"The community patrols have the manpower that can immediately go into the crevices of a community that police may not even be aware of," he said.
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly praised the group and said he understood that there was a tradition in the Hasidic community of notifying the citizen patrols first. But Kelly said he wished the Kletzky family had called 911 at the same time.
