Elements, Siobhan Pender

The Force on the Front

Introduction

The force on the front. Explore police complicity in the anti-semitic Christian Front Movement in 1938-1940 Brooklyn, NY. Uncover how Irish-Catholic NYPD members fostered violence.

Abstract

Police involvement in the Christian Front Movement in Brooklyn, NY grew unnoticed from 1938-1940, resulting in anti-semitic violence even after the police comissioner and mayor were forced to address the issue after the arrest in 1940 of 17 Christian Front Members accused of planning terrorist activities. The Christian Front was able to grow in an area like Brooklyn due to its high population of Irish-Catholics, and since the Christian Front was a religiously-based anti-semitic group led by an Irish Catholic priest, these people aligned well with the movement's beliefs. With a large Irish-Catholic police force, it is evident that the police not only had membership in the Christian Front but also those sympathetic to the movement. The stronghold of the Christian Front and the anti-semitic beliefs prevalent throughout the NYPD resulted in the creation of an environment where anti0semitic attacks could proliferate unaddressed, and where Irish Catholic nationalists could spread and impose their beliefs of anti-semitism and through their position of power in a law enforcement role. 

Review

This paper, titled "The Force on the Front," offers a compelling and deeply unsettling examination of police complicity in the growth of the anti-semitic Christian Front Movement in Brooklyn, NY, between 1938 and 1940. The abstract clearly articulates a historical narrative wherein the demographic alignment of a large Irish-Catholic population, an Irish Catholic-led extremist group, and a predominantly Irish-Catholic police force created a fertile ground for anti-semitic ideologies to flourish. The core argument is that direct police involvement, ranging from membership to sympathy, allowed anti-semitic violence to proliferate unaddressed, even after official intervention following the arrest of Christian Front members accused of planning terrorist activities. A key strength of this research lies in its specific focus on the institutional enablement of extremism through law enforcement. The paper aims to highlight how the unique socio-cultural context of Brooklyn at the time facilitated the imposition of anti-semitic beliefs by those in power. By asserting that Irish Catholic nationalists used their positions within the NYPD to actively spread and enforce these harmful views, the study promises to uncover a significant, and perhaps overlooked, dimension of historical anti-Semitism in America. This detailed exploration of the interplay between community demographics, religious identity, and state power makes a valuable contribution to understanding the conditions under which hate groups can gain traction. While the abstract presents a powerful thesis, a full assessment of the paper would benefit from a rigorous demonstration of its claims. Future revisions or an expanded methodology section should clearly delineate the evidence used to distinguish between active "membership" in the Christian Front by police officers and mere "sympathy" for the movement, and how both contributed to the systemic failure to address violence. Given the bold assertion of "widespread" anti-semitic beliefs throughout the NYPD and their "imposition" through law enforcement roles, the paper must provide robust archival research and primary source analysis to substantiate the extent of this institutional complicity and its direct impact on the safety of Jewish communities in Brooklyn.

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