Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY - No Arrests In Aftermath Of Riots

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY - A week after rioters set more than 20 fires including one inside a patrol car and vandalized another police vehicle and grabbed a sergeant, possibly in an attempt to take his gun, police have not made any arrests beyond the three that first night.

The controversy has died down since, but several police sources said "There should have been a lot more arrests that night," said one source familiar with the police response. "But it's clear there is preferential treatment. It's been like that for a long time."

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, however, said the NYPD hopes to make more arrests, particularly for the vandalizing of police cars. And Mayor Michael Bloomberg has dismissed any notion of preferential treatment toward the Hasidic Jews.

Several sources say that someone jumped on police Sgt. Angelo Russo and possibly tried to grab his gun. But Russo has told colleagues he never felt threatened and does not believe someone tried to take his weapon. But the sources said that in most other neighborhoods anyone who put their hands on an officer would have been arrested, if not right away then certainly soon after.

Ed Mullins, head of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, said the low number of arrests is sending the wrong message. "What I find most disturbing is that the laws are not being enforced," Mullins said.

The Civilian Complaint Review Board, meanwhile, is conducting five investigations: one involving what happened to Schick, three involving separate allegations of force and abuse of authority by officers dealing with the crowd and one involving Chief of Department Joseph Esposito, who has been accused by elected officials of telling officers to "Get the -- Jews out of here." Esposito has admitted cursing but said he did not disparage Jews.