COJO Coordinates Virtual Pre-Passover Meeting With NYPD, FDNY & DSNY

On March 16, 2021, the Staten Island Shomrim and Council of Jewish of Organization’s Security Committee (COJO) coordinated its annual Pre-Passover meeting with the NYPD, FDNY and DSNY. The focal point of the meeting was to review the upcoming Pesach Holiday and to coordinate with the NYPD, FDNY and DSNY the needs of the community.

The Borough’s senior brass such as Staten Island Borough Chief Frank, Vega, commanding officer, Patrol Borough Staten Island, (PBSI), Inspector Robert Bocchino (PBSI), Inspector Bowers (PBSI), and Lt. Rafet Awad, commanding officer, Community Affairs, as well as the Island’s four precinct commanders, Inspector Tania Kinsella, commanding officer, Pct. 120, Inspector Bruce Ceparano, commanding officer, Pct. 121, Captain Timothy Wilson, commanding officer, Pct. 122, and Captain Andrey Smirnov, commanding officer, Pct.123 participated in the meeting.  Additionally, Neighborhood Coordinating Sgt. Yehuda Sirota, Pct. 120, Neighborhood Coordinating Sgt. David Kosinski, Pct. 121, and Community Affairs Officers Sean Mondello, Angeline Marra, John Sibal, Pct. 121, and Community Affairs Officer Jarrod Zinnanti were also in attendance.

FDNY was represented by Staten Island Borough Chief Kevin Woods, Deputy Borough Chief Brian Gorman and Captain Michael Kozo, Fire Safety. DSNY was represented by Staten Island Deputy Chief Matthew Weingartner .      

The uniformed services were gracious, kind and understanding of the needs of the Jewish community and plans were set how to handle the community’s holiday needs. 

The FDNY will supervise both at the Young Israel of Staten Island, 353 Forest Hill Road and at Khal Agudas Shomrei Hadaas, Rabbi Pollack’s shul, 98 Ruppert Avenue the annual bread burning/Biur Chometz on Friday Morning March 26, 2021. Sanitation at the close of the bread burning will remove the refuse from the burning.

NYPD will be setting up extra patrols and police presence over Pesach. The NYPD will be out and about on the Seder nights as well as visiting the various Shuls in the community to help further ensure the needs of the community.

Mendy Mirocznik, President, COJO, Scott Maurer, CEO and Executive Vice-President of COJO, Ari Weiss, Security Chairman of COJO , and Coordinator Staten Island Shomrim represented COJO at the meeting. Mirocznik, thanked Scot Maurer for facilitating and arranging the meeting and Ari Weiss, for working with NYPD, FDNY and DSNY in setting up the holiday plans. “It truly is heartwarming to see the start of a return to normalcy after suffering the darkness of COVID. We truly, thank NYPD Staten Island Borough Chief Vega, FDNY Staten Island Borough Chief Woods and DSNY Deputy Staten Island Borough Chief Weingartner for taking the time from their busy schedules to address the needs of the community and setting up a plan that will help the community celebrate Passover in a respectful, dignified, safe and festive manner. COJO is proud of our community partnerships with uniformed services and we look forward to our continued collaboration in a better cured world. Thank you, NYPD, FDNY and DSNY and Shomrim (SISP) for being there for all of Staten Island all of the time,” commented Mendy Mirocznik, President of COJO.