"In 1984, I was one of the co-founders of the South Florida Shomrim Society. We started with 20 members, and we were the first organized group of Jewish Public Safety Officers in South Florida that banded together to fight discrimination, bigotry and anti-semitism within police agencies. Police departments and public safety agencies have undergone a remarkable transformation since I entered the law enforcement profession in 1958.
When I think of my own career and reflect the careers of other Jews in law enforcement, I am more concerned than ever that we are a rare breed of peace officers who came to the job with enormous faith and history, and a unique perspective about the importance of our valuable contribution to the institution of public safety service. Law enforcement is not just a simple story of symbolism, but a story of the substance of who we are within the complex world of crime prevention. As law enforcement professionals, we have fought fiercely to ward off prejudices against Judaism. We are winning. Jews now play an important leadership role in every phase and segment of law enforcement, and will continue to do so."
- Irving Heller is the Chairman of the Board Emeritus of the South Florida Shomrim Society. He retired as Assistant Director of the Miami-Dade Police Department and Chief of the North Bay Village Police Department.