Lakewood Police Offer “Empty” Response to Wrongful Arrest

A Tuesday statement from the Lakewood Police Department addressing public concern over the wrongful arrest and mistreatment of an esteemed member of the Beis Medrash Govoha kollel last week has been met with backlash from community askanim.

While the department stated its commitment to transparency and accountability, a prominent community activist has told Belaaz News that the statement rings hollow and does little to mend fractured trust after the arrest and detention of Rabbi Binyomin Kubani last week over a misunderstanding at a car wash. He was released Monday after thousand of yidden davened, and rabbanim and askanim worked tirelessly on his behalf. While in jail, police wouldn’t even let Rabbi Kubani offer a statement.

Capt. Gregory Staffordsmith, Investigations Commander & Media Relations, acknowledged “public concern and recent media reports regarding a July 3rd incident that has shaken trust within our community.” He emphasized that the matter is being taken with “utmost seriousness” and is being “investigated thoroughly and objectively in accordance with established protocols.”

The statement also cited limitations on what could be shared due to an active internal affairs investigation, requesting “the community’s patience as we allow the process to properly unfold.” It concluded by reaffirming a commitment to “transparency, to accountability, and most importantly to the trust of those we serve.”

However, the statement provides no information on just how that trust can be rebuilt.

A well-known community activist, speaking to Belaaz News, dismissed the police statement as “empty” and asserted that it “does nothing to regain trust in the police after the wrongful arrest of Rabbi Kubani.”