The United Synagogue

Thanks, Steve!

PRESS COVERAGE

London, 10th April 2008

THANKS, STEVE!

A Jewish News reader has donated thousands of pounds worth of security equipment to the Plashet Cemetery after reading about the desecration of around 40 stones at the graveyard in last week’s newspaper.

Steve Galinsky, chief executive of security company Q-Star, has provided the United Synagogue with a state of the art motion sensored camera, already in use by local councils and railway companies, to deter vandals from the site.

He said: “I saw the front of the Jewish News in a bakery last week and I was shocked. It easily could have been my Mum or Dad’s stone

“I rung the United Synagogue and said I was prepared to donate a FlashCAM system to deter people from doing this. I had a look at the grounds and saw the destruction, it was very upsetting.”

The FlashCAM, worth around £5000, works like a speed camera and is placed in an area where vandalism may take place. Its sensors pick up movement and a picture is taken followed by a voice warning the perpetrators to stop. The image can then be downloaded and sent to the police.

The technology has been around for three years and is currently used in town centres and railway stations to tackle illegal behaviour such as vandalism, graffiti and drug dealing.

Galinsky added, “I don’t know why I didn’t think of doing this before, I guess this is the straw that broke the camel’s back. I would also be willing to offer deals with other synagogues and cemeteries.”

Between 30 and 40 gravestones and tombs were damaged at Plashet Cemetery last week. It came five years after nearly 400 stones were damaged at Plashet in the worst desecration of its kind on record.

The United Synagogue’s Head of Burials Melvyn Hartog told the Jewish News: “We were overjoyed to get this phone call. It took us by surprise and it is gratefully received. Anything we can do to improve security around Plashet is really beneficial. We hope this will put an end to any possible intrusion by vandals.

“We had a meeting with him and the Community Security Trust to make sure the system is possible and we will hopefully have it erected in the next three weeks.

“We are also very grateful to the Jewish News. This is one time when publicity does help.”

Police are still appealing for witnesses. Anyone with information should call the police on 020 7275 5736 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 55 111.


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Published with permission of the Jewish News© - April 2008
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