Shomrim (volunteers)

Shomrim (volunteers)

Shomrim (Hebrew: שומרים‎, lit. "watchers" or "guards") are licensed organizations of volunteer Jewish civilian patrols which have been set up in Hasidic and Haredi neighborhoods in the United States and England to combat burglary, vandalism, mugging, assault, domestic violence, nuisance crimes, and antisemitic attacks. They also help locate missing people. Shomrim groups are licensed and trained by local police departments and sometimes serve as a liaison between the religious public and police.Empty citation‎ (help)

Shomrim volunteers are unarmed and do not have the authority to make arrests. They are effective in tracking and detaining suspects until police arrive. Occasionally Shomrim members have been cited for using excessive force against non-Jewish suspects.

In Brooklyn, Baltimore, and Stamford Hill, many residents call Shomrim instead of the police due to the former's quicker response time. However, the volunteer patrol has been criticized by the New York City Police Department for not always notifying police when a call comes in. Additionally, Brooklyn Shomrim organizers have been accused of withholding information on suspected child molesters and Jewish criminals, in keeping with an interpretation of the Torah prohibition against mesirah (informing on a fellow Jew to the non-Jewish authorities).