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‘God Squad’: Pastors, Churches Unite to Form Unique Crime-Fighting Group in NYC

Mar. 6, 2013 3:48pm Billy Hallowell

They’re being called the “God Squad,” a collective of pastors in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, who are working with the New York Police Department (NYPD) in an effort to crack down on local crime. Last month, Pastor Gilford Monrose quietly launched the program, which involves assigning 14 churches different portions of the city’s 67th Precinct.

These faith leaders are tasked with building relationships with gang members and criminals in an effort to encourage them to turn themselves in. Considering that the precinct ranked third in the city in 2012 for having the most shootings and murders, the religious leaders are taking charge to curb violence. The idea emerged after Monrose, among others, voiced frustration and sadness over senseless death and violence.

In an interview with The New York Daily News, Monrose described the program, which is based at the Mount Zion Church of God on East 37th street. In the exchange, he dubbed the effort a “clergy crisis response team.” The churches involved are tasked with getting to know the environments and key players in their sections of the precinct.

Brooklyn Pastors, Churches Unite to Form Crime Fighting God Squad in NYC | NYPD

Credit: AP

“They learn what type of gangs are out in their sectors and what the can do about it,” Monrose explained. “We have to see who is warring with each other. We want to assist. We want to help.”

Here’s how the Daily News describes the plan:

On top of preaching to goons, the God Squad also visits crime victims in the hospital and regularly meets with police to share what they are seeing out on the streets.

But the pastors pledged not to divulge any of the criminals’ confessions, explaining they need to build trust with both cops and culprits. Instead they hope to convince wanted gangsters to turn themselves in.

At least one police officer who spoke off-the-record with the Daily News heralded the plan as much-needed. The individual noted that people would rather go to a pastor than to the police.

“People don’t always feel comfortable telling us what is going on,” said the source.

And since many of the so-called “bad guys” attend church — or have family members do — some cops think the plan of having faith leaders get involved in helping to prevent crime just might work.

Not everyone is convinced the plan will be beneficial, but that isn’t stopping pastors from implementing it. It will be fascinating to see how the details play out over time.

(H/T: Gothamist)

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Comments (19)

toody1969
Posted on March 8, 2013 at 9:18am
CAUTION!!!!!!!!!!! There was a group called the Clergy Response Team developed by the govt to get the pastors to preach heavily on Romans 13. Type “Clergy Response Team ” into your search engine and research what pops up. I hope and pray that this is something different. Just saying! God Bless!!

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overthecliff
Posted on March 8, 2013 at 9:13am
Waste of time. One year from now nothing will have changed. There are Demonstrations Against Violence about 4 times every year in East St Louis and it is more dangerous to the citizens than Bagdad.

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KMHArms.com
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 12:40pm
Defending America’s rights is the greatest action a person can take http://www.kmharms.com

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A Bit of Thought
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 11:09am
If you want to eliminate crime, you need to take effective action in any way possible. It looks like the East Flatbush God Squad has some excellent ideas and I hope the squad has success in reducing crime.

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Galt45
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 1:50am
What’s with the picture of the BB gun?

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snooop1e
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 12:19am
Good for them. Jesus told his Apostles to sell their cloaks and buy a sword if they didn’t already have one.

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jman-6
Posted on March 6, 2013 at 11:06pm
At least someone is willing to stand up and try and fix their communities! KUDOS Pastors! It’s easy to sit on the sidelines and criticize instead of offering solutions! Take the plank outta your own eye before you worry about the speck in others!

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zgomer
Posted on March 6, 2013 at 9:09pm
Own a gun…only thing a thug understands…

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morasha18
Posted on March 6, 2013 at 6:51pm
Courage by any other measure is still the gold standard for repair of our society. These souls stepped up; we will see who is left when the bad guys strike back at well meaning freedom lovers. Will any others have the guts to stand in the gap.I say may the Lord bless the work of their hands and add to their number. There is strength in numbers.

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codygreenhalgh
Posted on March 6, 2013 at 4:52pm
And the picture of the gun is somehow about this story?

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- Stoic one
  Posted on March 6, 2013 at 5:11pm
  The bottom left of the photo tells you where Billy Hallowell, acquired the story.
  
  Report this comment
- marybethelizabeth
  Posted on March 6, 2013 at 5:52pm
  Mr. Beck said that black gang members just can’t wait to start killing whites so of course any story that mentions gangs has to have a gun in it.
  
  Mr. Beck said that the NOI was recruiting them.
  The NOI is listed as a terrorist group by the SPLC. Being listed as such disproves Mr. Beck’s contention of the SPLC agenda.
  
  Report this comment
- Eastinfection
  Posted on March 6, 2013 at 6:42pm
  MaryBeth…
  
  please put things in full context.
  Glenn said that the NOI was recruiting black gang members that can’t wait to kill whites.
  
  You implied that Glenn believes ALL black gang members can’t wait to kill whites & that’s why the NOI is recruiting them…. when Glenn was actually saying that the NOI is specifically recruiting white-hating racists through gangs.
  
  If a college football coach says he is going to recruit high school athletes that can bench 300lbs… he is not implying that all high school athletes can bench 300lbs.
  
  You’re messing with the words and you know it. when others do the same- you rip them. please practice what you preach.
  
  Report this comment
- The-Monk
  Posted on March 6, 2013 at 6:54pm
  Hi East,
  
  Touche !!!
  
  Report this comment
media-bias-steals-elections
Posted on March 6, 2013 at 4:19pm
Why call them the “God Squad”? Isn’t this what the Muslim Brotherhood calls themselves?

Why not just a civic action comittee? Will the mayor of NYC now be targeted by drones in the future because he allows such “God Squad’s” to operate, and since the “low information” voter does not know one organization from another, this is just another “exciting” day in the war on terrorism?

I am not bringing attention to an organization in NYC, I am bringing attention to common beliefs and how we sometimes fight phantom enemies that do not exist, or are created by imaginary monsters out of our inability to be patient and get human intelligence on a matter, and drag the process through a court of law, because a court of law is the laboratory of science where we prove theory from fact?

I’m not going to hide the agenda that some Muslims believe in the use of force, I don’t have to make up imaginary evidence, you can read the reports yourselves, of Christians getting detained, tortured, or worse, or reports of threatening statements by heads of states they will wipe Israel off the map? They will tell you, they will immigrate to the United States, and game the political system to destroy your US Constitution from within?

The Soviets tried and failed to do this, and told their people hideous things, but decades of patience and common sense paid off and today we can talk about nuclear accidents and how to clean them up?

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jackact
Posted on March 6, 2013 at 4:18pm
….But Bloomberg said crime is at its lowest rate in NYC since his illegal 3rd term immaculation?

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mcsledge
Posted on March 6, 2013 at 4:17pm
I wonder how long it will take for the god-less to cry foul that god-fearing people are using their morals and values to combat crime.

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- OldSurfRat
  Posted on March 6, 2013 at 4:22pm
  Gotta ban those darn morals.
  Oh yeah too late!
  
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- RobertHere
  Posted on March 6, 2013 at 6:33pm
  From the beginning of time? Crime is endemic–all we can do it try to stem it somewhat–hopefully these folks can help some.
  
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