Muslim Community Patrol in NYC. Good idea? Bad idea?

Link the NYT Article.

First of all, let me be clear: this isn't an "OMG! I hate muslims!" thread. As the article states, muslims are not the only religious group that does this sort of thing in NYC and other places.

So... thoughts? I'll let the foaming go on for a bit and then weigh in with my opinions.

Here's a couple of questions for people to ponder, just for starters:

1. Would it make a difference if women were out there as part of the MCP?

2. Given much of the vitriol you see around here regarding religion of any stripe, how do you feel about someone driving around in what looks like a police car, with [insert religion] PATROL on the side of it?

Should've switched "Christian" for "Muslim" in the OP to get a less biased reaction from Leftforge (and priest for mullah, etc.). Might've been hard to change the lettering on the car, but half might never have noticed.

This isn't a hypothetical- it's happening in NYC, per the article.

What's the big deal? I thought almost everyone on all sides of the political spectrum thought greater citizen involvement in their communities was a good thing?

Should call 'em Mullahmobiles. Anything with "Religious Group"+"Patrol" is going to bring on visions of paramilitary types for some.

"Hari Krishna Urban Patrol" might even scare a few. HAKUP sounds like my cat with a hairball, and that scares the shit outta me when she does it late at night.

There might be some backlash from some racist chuckleheads, but other than that I don't see a problem.

Are they licensed by the city? Even private security must be licensed.

You don't need a license to drive around, observe things, and report bad stuff to the police. If that is all they are going to do, then they don't need licencing and I have zero problem with it.

If they are going to stop people and measure beards and fuss because women aren't in hijabs, then no, I do not support it.

I think most of this ought to be legal -- possibly one could argue about any attempt to make the cars seems as if they have an official government capacity.

I also think it is a terrible idea, and that it seems needed is an even more terrible diagnosis.

Frankly, any religious designation should automatically be disqualifying as these things inevitably lead to sectarian conflict.

Agreed. This is nothing more than neighborhood watch on wheels.

as long as everything they do during the course of their security function is legal I don't see anything wrong with it. When I lived in Augusta the first time (the early to mid 90's) they had bowtie wearing black Muslims (Nation Of Islam maybe?) patrols in the housing projects. They had no powers of arrest or anything, just there to be an extra set of eyes & ears trying to keep the neighborhood safe. Residents were more apt to approach them/interact with them than the police. It was a great idea but they faded away in a few years (before the WTC incident so that wasn't the reason) and now I don't see them around.

They need to be arrested for impersonating law enforcement and the cars impounded if they will not change their look.

That is exactly what they are doing with the uniforms, cars, and the logo. They are making themselves look as close as possible to NYPD.

You don't need to look like the NYPD for a neighborhood watch. In fact looking like this could cause them to get involved in issues they have no business being involved in because the other parties don't look closely enough and see that they aren't actual NYPD.

And the first time they go beyond being a neighborhood watch and harass anyone for not following some Islamic law they need to be disbanded.

The same of course should be applied to the Asian and Jewish neighborhood watches. Both groups have them as well.

True, but the Asian watch cars are full of dents, so they are easy to distinguish.

I supported the Guardian Angels when they first came on the scene in the late 1970s despite what was revealed later about some of the lies and exaggerations of their exploits, so opposing this group seems pointless.

I don't see any problem, it has no lights on it. If you are not armed or acting as an authority then patrol away. I hope they catch anyone who tries something.

Oh shut the fuck up. All security does that Mr. Racist fuckbag. It is your responsibility to know the law. I am not going to confuse a lightless car and a guy without a police badge for an officer of the law. That is not impersonating a police officer and you know it. That was a shitty argument and you should be shamed for making it.

Bad dog! Bad bad dog! The humans are trying to speak. Take your barking outside.

Of course. We know you regard them as animals and you hate every one of them. You are the typoe of guy who would find out a Muslim doctor saved you and kill yourself just to spite him.

First time one of these chuckleheads tries to enforce Muslim standards of dress or behaviour on someone . . . yeah, this ain't gonna end well.

There are mall cops and rent a cops who have cars that look like police cars. These cars have NY state plates, not cop plates.

Might as well arrest all private security nationwide then, because nearly every private security uniform looks a helluva lot like cop uniforms.

Oh shit, look out! Here comes the NYPD:




Not to mention, the uniform this patrol is wearing looking nothing like the NYPD uniform:

I think neighborhood watches are stupid, but I don't have any problem with people volunteering their time to keep their community safer. This program is indistinguishable from most neighborhood watch programs and private security for gated/affluent suburban communities.

Looks like the whole purpose is make a community that faces abuse and potential threats feel somewhat safer. I highly doubt it’s goimg to be some secret Muslim police meant to harass people for not following their customs. Idiots just want to use it to scare insecure morons just to continue to justify the abuse they get. The thing about American Muslims is that they’re Americans first. They work besides us, they go to Starbucks like us, they buy groceries with us, they are us and they deserve to feel safe too.

Ah, Bay Ridge. Last 'hood I lived in before I moved to the Left Coast.

When I was growing up, the last of the Norwegians were moving out and Irish, Italians, and Syrians were moving in. When I moved back there 20+ years later, the mix was Greek, Korean, Egyptian, and a smattering of old Irish ladies living in rent-controlled apartments that someone would have to take from their cold, dead hands. The Italians, of course, seeing anyone darker than they, immediately decamped to Staten Island on their way to Toms River, NJ and then to Florida.

Signs of the transition: The premium on parking spaces. When I was a kid, you'd see some Italian guy trying to squeeze his Ford Fairlane into a space designed for a much smaller car. Some helpful landsman would inevitable pull up parallel to him, roll down his window and yell "In your dreams, goombah!"

Just before I left in '00, an Arabic (presumed Egyptian) taxi driver was trying to squeeze his cab into a space too small, and one of his fellow drivers pulled up parallel to him and shouted "Inshallah, brother. Inshallah!"

I love NY. Unless they're harassing women for not wearing hijab, this group seems a lot less intrusive than (a) St. Patrick's Church ringing bells four times a day all day long and (b) the Chabad sound truck driving around Crown Heights announcing "Messiah is coming back!"

IMO.

You realize Chad you ignorant slut that not all NYPD wears the same uniform everyday?

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/03/nyregion/muslim-community-patrol-brooklyn.html


This is not acceptable. It's too close to what NYPD looks like and could cause confusion in a emergency.

I'm not saying the group can't exist only that it shouldn't be dressed like this nor have vehicles like this.

And that also applies to any other neighborhood watch in NYPD.

Good point now that NYPD has allowed Sikhs and Muslim women to wear traditional headdress with their uniforms.

I used to have two kin in the NYPD. One's put in his 20 and is sitting on his porch yelling at the neighborhood kids to "Get off my lawn!"

I'll have to ask the other one for an opinion.

Even in the article some within the community are wary:

As long as they don't try to be the police of vice and virtue, I don't care.

This could be the plot for Police Academy 8 (or whatever number they are up to)!

We just need that guy who makes the funny noises to do a morning prayer call.