On June 10, the Flatbush Shomrim hosted their annual carnival and bike registration event for the whole community in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn, NY to enjoy. Although the weather was cloudy and it was drizzling throughout the event, the turnout was incredible. Pizza, ice cream, rides, and thousands of dollars worth of giveaways were all funded by Democratic State Senator Simcha Felder.

The Shomrim assist with all crime-related matters including break-ins, domestic violence, missing people, crisis intervention, and many more issues. If someone has ever dealt with Shomrim,  they know that they give unparalleled professional service and efficient aid to anyone in need.

Live music performed for the large crowd at the Shomrim carnival event.

Each year, Flatbush Shomrim has a small event in which individuals can come register their bike. This assures that if ever lost or stolen and then recovered, the police would know who the bike belongs to. As of last year, Shomrim has kicked it up a few notches and turned this into a full-fledged family event.

The carnival was impressively organized. Each family got a card for their family members as well as several raffle tickets. The card had images of each giveaway on it and when you received that giveaway item, a Shomrim member crossed it off your card. This system assured that every individual got one of everything and there was enough for all. 

Members of the Shomrim Patrol enjoying the carnival festivities.

At the carnival, Flatbush Shomrim gave away 1,500 helmets, 850 cable bike locks, 2,000 Shomrim t-shirts, and 1,000 Shomrim backpacks. A pizza stand handed out 200 pies of pizza and two ice cream trucks gave away 2,000 ice cream cones. This all came at no cost to the families who attended and enjoyed their day at the event.

Members of the Shomrim Patrol dancing to the music being played.

As for entertainment, the event consisted of many fun things to do for children of all ages. There was a petting zoo at the event that the young children enjoyed throughout the day. There were also five different carnival rides for everyone to enjoy. Live music played throughout the streets as well on this festive day. Every hour of the event, raffle ticket numbers were announced and attendees won bikes and Razor scooters. A total of 10 bikes and 15 scooters were given away.

Shomrim reported that the day was very successful with a turnout of over 2,000 people, about a 50% increase from last year’s event. Overall the day brought awareness and recognition to the Flatbush Shomrim members who aid the police in keeping our streets safe.

Children enjoying the large slide set up at the Shomrim carnival event.

“It was a great day, the feedback was very positive. It’s a nice way to show our faces to the community and to be together,” said Bob Moskovitz, Executive Coordinator of Shomrim. “The police department said of the two other events similar to ours going on that same day, ours was the most organized and attended of the three.”

Shomrim Patrol members posing alongside children and NYPD police officers at the carnival event.

Several police officers including Commanding Officer of the 61st precinct of Brooklyn, Captain James King, came out to the Shomrim carnival to show their support and enjoy the festivities. Shomrim has an ongoing relationship with the police departments in the areas they patrol since they assist in taking criminals off the streets. At one point during the event, a police captain was called up to the stage to announce the numbers of the winning raffle tickets.

To learn more about the Flatbush Shomrim, visit their website and follow them on Instagram and Twitter @FlatbushShomrim and in an emergency, call the hotline at 718-338-9797.

Frieda Schweky

Frieda@sephardic.org

Frieda Schweky is Sephardic.Org's official community events reporter. For inquiries and to get involved with our site, please contact Frieda via email.