What we do
The established organizations protect our streets. C.H.O.S.E.N. closes the gap inside the shul. Everything we offer is built around keeping Crown Heights shuls safe, prepared, and connected to the people who respond.
01We place dedicated, vetted volunteers in shuls across Crown Heights. Each team knows its building, its regulars, and its entrances, and is trained in partnership with CSS (Community Security Service) to spot and calmly address suspicious activity during davening, simchas, and events.
Volunteer for a team →
02Several Crown Heights shuls, including 770, are protected by New York State licensed armed guards. In partnership with Six-13 Guard, a frum security company, we help individuals become NYS licensed armed guards and help shuls bring armed coverage on board. The training is real, and it makes you reliable.
Become an armed guard →
03Regular workshops in situational awareness, de-escalation, emergency response, and threat recognition — designed for the frum community and delivered with security professionals and law-enforcement partners.
Ask about training →
04An integrated alert network links volunteers to each other, to local community patrols, and to the NYPD, so that one report reaches everyone who needs to respond within seconds.
Learn more →05We work alongside the NYPD and local community patrols so that response is coordinated rather than duplicated. C.H.O.S.E.N. augments the existing infrastructure; it never replaces it.
Coordinate with us →
06Beyond security, volunteers are prepared for medical, fire, and evacuation scenarios inside a crowded shul, ensuring calm, orderly action when every second counts.
Request a readiness review →
07Every report helps us see patterns and act early. Our online form lets community members report past incidents and non-emergency concerns directly to the C.H.O.S.E.N. team.
Report an incident →Coming soon
A local base station that connects your shul directly to the NYPD, local community patrols, Hatzalah, and a camera. Two-way. Shabbos-safe. Developed for shuls.
Explore the Shul SystemFAQ
Any responsible adult member of the Crown Heights community who wants to help keep our shuls safe. No prior security experience is required; unarmed volunteers are trained in partnership with CSS (Community Security Service).
Unarmed volunteers serve at their own shul as trained eyes and ears, coordinated with local community patrols and the NYPD. The armed track, run with Six-13 Guard, is for individuals who want to become New York State licensed armed guards and serve at 770 and other shuls that have armed coverage.
Start with the short questionnaire on the Armed Guard page. C.H.O.S.E.N. vets every applicant first, looking for people who are level-headed, reliable, and of good integrity. Accepted applicants then complete NYS licensing and firearms training in partnership with Six-13 Guard before being placed at 770 or another shul.
There are no weekly drills or long shifts. Volunteers are asked to be present at their own shul during davening and events, and to attend periodic trainings.
No. The NYPD and the established Crown Heights community patrols protect the streets, and they do it well. What was missing was protection inside the shul itself. C.H.O.S.E.N. closes that gap with trained people already in the building, and we coordinate closely with the organizations outside and hand off to them whenever a situation calls for it.
No. Volunteering is free. Training, equipment, and communication systems are funded by community donations.
Use the contact form to tell us about your shul. We will meet with the gabbaim or board, assess the building, and help you build a volunteer team.
Call 911 immediately, then contact Shmira (718-221-0303) or Shomrim (718-774-3333). For a medical emergency call Hatzalah (718-230-1000). The incident form on this site is for past incidents and non-emergency concerns only.
A local base station installed in your shul that connects you directly to the NYPD, local community patrols, Hatzalah, and a camera through a two-way, Shabbos-safe system. It is launching soon; see the Shul System page for details.
Entirely by the community. Every dollar donated goes toward training, emergency equipment, communication systems, and coordinated response efforts across Crown Heights.
Sign up now and help protect your community when it matters most.
