NY 1st Hasidic Cop Has A Degree From United Talmudical Seminary in KJ Monroe

New York, NY - The NYPD has recruited its first Hasidic cop.
Joel Witriol, a 24-year-old from Brooklyn a Talmud scholar, starts his training at the department's Police Academy today. "I realized there were so many things you could do [as a cop] - everything from community service to fighting narcotics," Witriol said, coming off the heels of a stint with the department's auxiliary police force. "There are a hundred things, and every day is different."
Witriol has a degree from United Talmudical Seminary in Monroe, where he studied "religious stuff, mostly."
But the Brooklyn native wanted something more, he heard about the police auxiliary. "I decided to go and check it out," Witriol said. "I went for training and passed."

Growing up in Williamsburg, his auxiliary work in the 77th Precinct in Crown Heights was an eye-opener for him. "I saw a lot of things that were going on in the precinct," he said.
The police officers "are not only locking up people, but they are helping people, too. I figured it's a good future."
Before he signed on with the department, Witriol asked for some advice from his father, a bus driver. He said, "If you do it, just do the right thing," Witriol recalled.

Because of his religion, Witriol will need exemptions from police hairstyle rules so he can keep his beard and his peyoses.
He'll also have to be excused from working on Shabos and on Jewish holidays.
Witriol said the Police Department doesn't have any problem with his needs, so long as they're backed up with a letter from a rabbi.

Witriol says his older brother was also an officer in Newark before becoming one of that department's chaplains.

Though his religion sets him apart, Witriol is eager to fit in with his fellow officers. "I want to be a cop," he said, "together with everyone."