In a stunning incident that comes less than a week after the approval of Jackson’s deal to settle the New Jersey Attorney General’s lawsuit over anti-Orthodox Jewish discrimination, a group of Jackson residents hired a private investigator to stake out a home where Orthodox Jewish worshippers were legally holding prayers.
The disturbing scene unfolded this past Shabbos, September 2nd, at a home in the S. New Prospect area of Jackson. The private investigator – who Lakewood Alerts has identified as Rich Coombs of Lemieux & Associates – sat in a vehicle outside the home for hours, snapping photos of worshippers entering and exiting the residence.
Lakewood Alerts has conclusively confirmed that the private investigator was hired by local residents, and was not employed by Jackson Township, which was accused of spying on homes where legal worshipping was taking place in the lawsuit it has just settled.
The incident is incredibly shocking, as it comes on the heels of Jackson Township settling with both the federal Justice Department and the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office over similar allegations.
Additionally, this weekend’s spying is particularly troubling as it comes against the backdrop of a worrying increase in anti-Semitic attacks in New Jersey and across the country. Aside from the patently hateful act of spying on a religious gathering, this incident served only to increase fear and concerns for their safety among Jackson’s Orthodox Jewish population.
It will be interesting to see whether this revelation will spark a new investigation by the New Jersey Attorney General into anti-Orthodox Jewish hate that is clearly still rampant in Jackson Township.
While this is definitely uncomfortable, there is nothing illegal about this, and the fact that it was hired by private individuals and not the government means there is nothing that can be done.
Maybe hire your own private investigator to spy on the people who hired him.
Anyone can describe what this guy looks like
There was a guy driving a Silver Subaru Forester with New York Plates LAS-7437 who was parked outside my neighbors house house for couple of hours and he was apprcloched he said he was a private investigator and drove off ….
Can any describe what he looked like?
Allegedly there was a guy in my neighborhood who was parked in front of someone house in for a couple of hours in
a Silver subaru forester New York Plates LAS-7437
When he was approached he said he was a private investigator who was serving a supeana ..but then he drove away…
Before people start to jump to conclusions, i have in the past parked in front of peoples houses for one reason only. That was to use their non-password protected wifi for internet access. I dont do it all the time its actually been a while since i last did it but when in a pinch….