TEANECK, N.J. — Teaneck township officials met with Bergen Shomrim and CSS at local synagogues ahead of Yom Kippur to discuss emergency coordination, including how to get critical information to residents when many members of the Orthodox Jewish community are not using phones or other electronic devices.

Bergen Shomrim described the meeting in a social media post Friday, thanking Township Manager Jaclyn Hashmat, Deputy Township Manager Anthony Verley and the Office of Emergency Management for inviting the organizations to participate.

Josh Gleis, an expert in securing community institutions, also joined the discussion.

Notably, Shomrim's post did not mention Teaneck Police Chief Seth Kriegel among those participating in the meeting.

The omission comes months after Kriegel had a contentious meeting with members of Bergen Shomrim over how the community organization should handle antisemitism complaints.

As previously reported, Shomrim offered to report complaints directly to the Teaneck Police Department while conducting its own complementary fact-finding and turning evidence over to police. People familiar with those discussions said Kriegel sought personal discretion over whether complaints would be investigated and opposed the group going beyond the police department to county or state authorities if he decided not to investigate.

Shomrim ultimately maintained that it would report complaints to TPD, conduct its own fact-finding and retain the ability to provide information to the Bergen County Sheriff's Office, Bergen County Prosecutor's Office or New Jersey Attorney General's Office when necessary.

The latest meeting focused on how the township, OEM, Shomrim, CSS and local synagogues can coordinate during major emergencies, including natural disasters and searches for missing people.

A particular focus was communication during Shabbat and Yom Tov, when many Orthodox Jews do not use phones or other electronic communications. The groups discussed ways to ensure important information can still reach the community quickly.

The participants also discussed community safety and ways Shomrim and other community security organizations can support the township's efforts to protect Teaneck's retail districts.

The township expressed appreciation for Bergen Shomrim's Shabbat and Yom Tov patrols, which provide an additional visible presence around local neighborhoods and synagogues while coordinating with law enforcement and other community security partners.

Shomrim said it appreciated the township's proactive approach and willingness to bring community safety organizations into the conversation.

The meeting comes as Teaneck's Jewish community prepares for Yom Kippur, which begins Sunday evening.