LPD Officer Rips Down Eruv, Again

eiruv ripped down 2Just 5 days after ripping down an Eruv at the intersection of Lexington and Carey, LPD Officer Ed Hornak was back at it again, at the same spot. At approximately 7:30 a.m. this morning, a resident-near the Lexington and Carey intersection where the Eruv hangs-witnessed Officer Hornak again cutting the string to the Eruv. This time however, the resident managed to approach him and demanded an explanation. “It’s illegal” he said. Asking the Officer why it is illegal, and that the pole company does not mind, he responded “I am not sure, but it’s illegal”.

An Official told TLS this morning that an I.A. Investigation has already been opened on the Officer, and that his recent actions are being investigated.

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60 COMMENTS

  1. Even if its illegal he has no right to take it down an officer can arrest if he feels its illegal and a judge can decide if it comes down or not. this officer can be suede in so many different ways and he should

  2. An officer has no right acting on his own w/o any compalaint or court order. Leave it to the sheriff department. He should be giving out ticket$$$

  3. The Police dept. isn’t the inspection dept. & have no right to make descisions let alone actions, especially in our tax hours.
    That said as far as I know it is ilegal to attach anything to an electric pole, unless you are liscensed electrician, or work out of a company where a liscensed electrician covers for you.
    How would the officer know it wasn’t erected by a liscensed electrician, let alone take the law into his own hands. Was he sent by the inspections dept. to rip it down? If there was a permit, & it was done legally he should be suspended without pay right now.

  4. He should be placed on desk duty while the investigation is ongoing! He is clearly an antisemit he does NOT do the same to mexicon’s on second st. Doing ilegal stuff

  5. Next time just call 911 on the officer for doing damaging private property.

    Being illegal does not give him a right to damage it, unless he has a court order to do so!

  6. i was always under the impression that a jersey state or local police officer was on duty 24 hrs a day and if a crime or law was broken it was his duty to enforce it being selective or ignoring it could result in a negitive reaction by his supreiors i cant believe someone would say to be selective due to age or religon if its not legal thats the end of it

  7. every last askan in town reads this wonderful news site .. this is not poland 1939 why can’t any of you do anything about this cop ?????

  8. Not only did he tear down the eruv he gave me a parking ticket wen I was parked legally on 11th and squankum that guy was on a rampage and I ain’t paying that guy’s ticket

  9. To Ari #1: Most of the people posting comments make terrible spelling and grammar errors, but you take the cake. It’s “swayed, ” not “suede”. Suede is used to make shoes.

  10. If the string was attached to the electric/telephone pole then that is illegal. NOTHING may be attached to the poles !!! Go check the law. Attaching something to the poles can cause an employee to be hurt if his climbing spike hits it and does not go into the pole.

  11. Criminal mischief is a crime of the fourth degree if the actor purposely or knowingly breaks, digs up, obstructs or otherwise tampers with any pipes or mains for conducting gas, oil or water, or any works erected for supplying buildings with gas, oil or water, or any appurtenances or appendages therewith connected, or injures, cuts, breaks down, destroys or otherwise tampers with any electric light wires, poles or appurtenances, or any telephone, telecommunications, cable television or telegraph wires, lines, cable or appurtenances.

  12. The officer is well within his rights to up hold the law. Most here are upset because of what it means to us. But noone can say it was an act of anti semetic deduction. He is an officer of the law. Everyone knows that string was not properly erected and who ever is reattaching it should be arrested. We cant always have everything our way. Abide the laws and these issues would be non existant.

  13. The police can’t be expected to only enforce the laws the public wants him to enforce and let other things slide because it offends/upsets people.

  14. When Coventry residents wanted to put up eruv in Coventry , after explained what it does halachacly , someone complained that it (invisible fishing string from 300 feet ) makes them feel clostrophobic !!! So maybe it makes him feel clostrophobic ?

  15. To number 17,
    if you don’t pay the ticket, the court will issue a warrant for your arrest and then the cops could come to your house, in view of all your neighbors, and arrest you! If you don’t agree with the ticket, go to court. Not paying the ticket would only hurt you.

  16. Ed Hornak is an ignorant police officer! I really respect the LPD, and I have been help numerous times. They are a great force. Professional and courteous. However Ed is a pompous fellow, a bad apple amongst a great bunch! I recall an incident when Officer Hornak attempted to ticket someone for a “zoning violation”. He was citing “laws” like a “know-it-all”, and arguing with several others with a very clear attitude! I approached and made it clear that he did not know the law, this fellow was not in violation, and it was not his job to enforce it either, To his credit, when pushed against the wall, he backed off and said “OK, I don’t know anything about it”. I walked a way with a very bad taste in my mouth. This guy is willing to fine and bully people as long as THEY don’t know that he is not properly informed!? Is that why he became an officer? For the power-trip? Just a side note: Don’t make this a Jewish issue! The above incident did not involve Jews. I don’t know if the string issue was anti-Semitic in nature, but I think Officer Hornak has deeper issues.

  17. The officer is well within his rights to up hold the law. The police can’t be expected to only enforce the laws the public wants then to enforce and let other things go.

  18. did the officer drive straight to the eruv and snip it, or was he parked there for a sped trap or something else and then saw the invisible string?

    Also, shouldnt he call the precinct to inquire about any permits on record before taking action…

    thats what happens when they pull someone over, correct?

  19. So since it is illegal to do so he has the right to rip it down? So if someone builds a house and does not get a permit is the officer then allowed to bulldoze it?

  20. i know officer hornak personally, he is not anti-semetic. however he is actually being trained by officer butterworth about the importance of the eruv to the community. lets promote officer butterworth to sgt

  21. Ripping down strings is not the job of the police department. That is why we have a zoning and building department.This is the problem with some officers they think that because they have a badge and gun that no law applies to them. It is officers like these that cause hatred and animosity towards the police department and officers in general. Let’s root them out and make this police department the envy of all towns and cities near and far.

  22. I know for a fact that when Cong. Sons Of Israel ercted the town Eruv,permission was granted to use the utility poles as needed.

  23. Lets look at this issue with the facts and not just prejudiced one way or another. While many who do not understand this practice and even wonder what purpose they serve that is not the issue here what is is whether they wer or were not placed there legally.
    If there was permission granted to errect them the he is wrong~ period.
    If on the other hand they are were placed there without permission then he has an obligation to uphold all the laws and not selectively choose only some and not others .
    Laws need to be obeyed by all the residence of Lakewood

  24. This has nothing to do with religion or being anti semitic. I love how people cry anti semite over every little action. Certain people actually wait for incidents like this so that they can cry anti semite. Fact is, its illegal to hang anything from a utility pole, whether it be posters, strings or whatever.

  25. Everybody is saying it’s illegal to put a stick alongside a utility pole. Please point me to this law, and where I can review it. Everybody here seem to be legal scholars so I’m sure it will be easy to verify this very serious law.

  26. Let’s be honest we did not hear both sides and we need to let for that to happen before we comment. Obviously as reported this story sounds suspicious of an over zealous officer. He may be a very nice person and I assume he is and mistakes happen.

    The LPD for the most part are truly proffesional and amazing people. Thank you for being there for us and we plan to be there for you in terms of cooperation and revenues!!

  27. It seams that these bulletin boards attract so many stupid people who have no idea what they are talking about or anything about the law. If the Eruv was posing some kind of danger Officer Hornack was within his authority to remove it. As a police officer I would have left the Eruv in place and attempted to contact someone within the community to repair it if it was posing a hazard. As a police officer it’s always best to use common cense.

  28. well someone has some common sense ,thats refreshing as stated below

    “down town says: ”

    “The officer is well within his rights to up hold the law. Most here are upset because of what it means to us. But noone can say it was an act of anti semetic deduction. He is an officer of the law. Everyone knows that string was not properly erected and who ever is reattaching it should be arrested. We cant always have everything our way. Abide the laws and these issues would be non existant.”

Comments are closed.