Assemblywoman Rhoda Jacobs Fights for Brooklyn Resident’s Human Rights

The refrain of “we want justice” echoed outside the Bolivian Mission on Sunday, July 1, as Assemblywoman Rhoda Jacobs (D – Brooklyn) spoke out for Jacob Ostreicher, a Brooklyn resident and U.S. citizen who has been detained in a Bolivian prison for over a year.

Assemblywoman Rhoda Jacobs speaks out for Jacob Ostreicher

At present, there have been no formal charges brought against Ostreicher by the Bolivian government, despite his ongoing imprisonment. Ostreicher has been scheduled for over a dozen hearings, all of which have been postponed.   “We are here to make [Jacob Ostreicher] known to the world,” Jacobs told the crowd.

“It is in our moral imperative to redeem people who are unjustly imprisoned and essentially kidnapped,” Jacobs continued. “Jacob Ostreicher deserves due process,” Jacobs noted in an interview following the event. “His basic human and civil rights are being violated.”  

Assemblywoman Jacobs was joined by a diverse group of elected officials, including Assemblyman Dov Hikind, who organized the gathering, Councilman Mathieu Eugene, Senator Eric Adams, Councilwoman Letitia James, Senator Charles Schumer and former NY State Governor David Paterson, as well as Ostreicher’s wife, children and extended family. 

 “I applaud Senator Schumer, Assemblyman Hikind and my colleagues in government for their efforts. We are all asking the U.S. Department of State to move assertively for Ostreicher’s release and to demand every American citizen’s rights,” Jacobs emphasized.  

“This issue directly affects the communities I represent,” she added, “but I am pleased that elected officials throughout New York City turned out to show their support. This is not just an issue for a particular ethnic or religious group,” Jacobs underscored. “Human rights are everyone’s concern.” 

 In December 2010, Ostreicher, 53, purchased Bolivian land and launched a rice business there, which he oversaw until his arrest by Bolivian officials in June 2011.  This past April, his fate began to capture national attention, as Ostreicher launched a hunger strike from prison to assert his human rights.

“[Ostreicher] is in a prison governed by chaos,” Jacobs emphasized. “We want justice. We want justice. We want justice.”

Security Cameras Funded in Brooklyn

Funding approved to install security cameras to protect the Brooklyn neighborhoods

Almost a year after the tragic murder of an eight-year-old boy that stunned our community, Assemblywoman Rhoda Jacobs and Assemblymember Dov Hikind have helped secure funding for a project to install security cameras to protect our streets, ensuring that something like this never happens again.  

The new $1 million project, named for Leiby Kletzky, was announced this past Sunday. The project will result in the installation of 150 security cameras in several of Brooklyn's largest Jewish neighborhoods – Borough Park, Flatbush and Midwood – with the equipment being owned and operated by local private community groups. 

 According to Jacobs, the cameras will also help protect the neighborhoods against possible terror threats that might target the Jewish population. The security cameras will be installed outside synagogues, schools and banks throughout the community.  

Leiby Kletzky got lost on his way home from day camp last summer and was then kidnapped, drugged and killed before his body was dismembered in a grisly murder that rocked the normally safe streets in these parts of Brooklyn.

Assemblywoman Rhoda Jacobs Hosts Forum on Neighborhood Safety

Assemblywoman Rhoda Jacobs (D- Flatbush) and the Flatbush Shomrim Safety Patrol came together on November 16 to welcome Deputy Inspector Eric Rodriguez to his new post as commanding officer of the 70th Precinct.

The meet and greet, which was hosted by Rabbi Aryeh Ralbag and Rabbi Eliezer Sandler at the Young Israel of Avenue K, enabled members of the community to acquaint themselves with the new commander and to raise their concerns about safety and quality of life in the area. Evening discussions centered around the importance of community involvement with the local police force and the Flatbush Shomrim, a team of 40 Jewish civilian patrollers who aid in the pursuit and detainment of suspects until the police arrive.

 “It’s always good for us to develop and maintain a working relationship with our police,” Assemblywoman Jacobs emphasized. 

Chaim Deutsch, the founder of the Flatbush Shomrim, implored “the community to be our eyes and ears.”   He added, “It’s impossible for the police to be everywhere. If you see something, say something.”

Rodriguez, who has been the commanding officer of the 70th Precinct since June 27, echoed their sentiments, noting that, “there have to be many partnerships in the community to make this work. “Shomrim helps us out a lot, but we want more people to get involved.”

He added, “We’re all in this together. We want the safest community possible.”   Rodriguez noted that the “majority of crime [in the 70th Precinct] is property crime,” not violent crime, adding that there has been about a 12% decrease in crime since he began his stint as commanding officer, and a 4% decrease over the past year. But, Rodriguez stressed, “you can’t look at the numbers when you’re the victim of a crime.”  

To help protect Flatbush and Midwood residents during the holiday season, Rodriguez and Deutsch conveyed the following safety tips:

1. If you go away for the weekend, make your house look occupied.
   • Keep shades slightly open.
   • Make sure your papers are picked up.
   • Ask neighbors to put their garbage in your can and park their car in your driveway.
2. Don’t make your car into a holiday gift for burglars.
   • Don’t keep pocketbooks and electronics where they can be seen through the car window, including on the front and back seats.
   • Purchase tire locks to deter thieves.
   • Be mindful of fliers placed on your back windshield; car thieves often use them as a distraction.
3. Keep your household valuables secure.
   • Store valuables such as jewelry in the last place thieves would think to check, such as the kitchen cabinet or the freezer.
   • Do NOT keep jewelry in the master bedroom.
4. Criminals take advantage of longer nights. Be extra cautious at this time of the year.
   • Be extra vigilant on your commute to and from work or school.
   • Refrain from using mp3 players, cell phones and other electronics while commuting after daylight hours.
   • Install additional lights on your bicycle.
5. Be wary of scam artists impersonating professionals.
   • Do not disclose credit card numbers or other personal information to alleged police officials soliciting money over the phone; the New York City Police Department NEVER makes phone calls for this purpose.
   • Don’t let strangers into your house without proper identification, even if they claim to be utilities technicians from Con Ed or Verizon.

For her part, Assemblywoman Jacobs emphasized that she and her team of staff, as well as the members of the Shomrim and the 70th Precinct, will remain committed to the community’s safety and well-being. “I would like to assure community residents that we will all continue to be available to work on their behalf,” Jacobs underscored. “We were pleased to be the conduit in affording the community this opportunity to meet Deputy Inspector Rodriguez. I thank Chaim Deutsch and Rabbis Ralbag and Sandler for helping us to organize this meeting.”