'Jewish patrol cars' in North London

Are the light bars blue or orange, i wonder?

Do they have a siren?, I would hope not, as they should not exceed the speed limit.

some (not all) from Wiki (so edited by interested parties and not guaranteed to be impartial)

In Brooklyn,[6] Baltimore,[7] and London [8][9] many residents call Shomrim instead of the police due to the former's quicker response time. However, the volunteer patrol has been criticized by the New York City Police Department for not always notifying police when a call comes in.[3] In London however, the Hackney Police Borough Commander Chief Superintendent Matthew Horne complimented Shomrim on this point, saying that "they will generally know when is the time to call us. They don't tend to waste our time and they don't let people go".[10] Additionally, Brooklyn Shomrim organizers have been accused of withholding information on suspected child molesters and other Jewish criminals, in keeping with an interpretation of the Torah prohibition against mesirah (informing on a fellow Jew to the non-Jewish authorities).[11][12][13]

Shomrim and Shmira have on many occasions received awards and commendations from the Police for their work.[

Brooklyn South Shomrim[edit]

A Shomrim patrol emblem/shoulder patch circa 1990's-present.
The Shomrim Brooklyn South Safety Patrol, which covers the neighborhoods of Boro Park, Bensonhurst, and Kensington,[31] was founded in the 1980s by Jacob Daskal.[3] In the beginning the group was known as the "Bakery Boys" as its members were bakers who observed late-night car break-ins in progress.[31] Its command center is located in a tire shop. The dispatchers, owners of the tire shop, receive about 100 calls a day[6] and direct a force of 150 members.[53]

Brooklyn South Shomrim came to international attention as the coordinator of a massive volunteer search for Leiby Kletzky, an 8-year-old Boro Park boy who went missing while walking home from day camp in July 2011; he was later found murdered by a Kensington resident. The Brooklyn South command center alerted other Shomrim patrols in Flatbush, Williamsburg, and Crown Heights, as well as Hasidic communities in Monsey, Monroe, Lawrence, Passaic, and Lakewood, to mobilize up to 5,000 Orthodox Jewish volunteers for a block-by-block search for the missing boy. After police identified the suspect's car from surveillance videos,[54] two Flatbush volunteers searching in nearby Kensington spotted the car;[55] the suspect was apprehended by police shortly after. Later the Brooklyn South Shomrim maintained order at the huge funeral for the victim[6] and outside the parents' home during the week-long shiva period.[55]

Shomrim London, Stamford Hill (UK)[edit]

Stamford Hill Shomrim Logo
The Stamford Hill Shomrim founded in 2008[56] has many volunteers and a 24-hour emergency hotline.[27] Shomrim volunteers undergo training according to Security Industry Authority standards and are CRB checked prior to joining as a volunteer.[27] Members receive ongoing training at Stoke Newington Police Station and are kept updated about new, targeted Police operations in the area.[51] In its first five months of operation, the hotline received 2,000 calls reporting burglaries, thefts, muggings, missing people etc. On average, Stamford Hill Shomrim receives approximately 4500 hotline calls a year,[57] however the members deal with incidents as and when they come across it too.[51] Incoming calls are dispatched to local Shomrim volunteers via two-way radios.[28] While police figures previously showed Stamford Hill to have the lowest crime rate in the borough of Hackney, the presence of Shomrim has revealed that crime was being underreported by the largely Yiddish-speaking Hasidic community.[8]

Stamford Hill Shomrim proactively patrol and operate in North & East London primarily but not exclusively, typically in the N16 E5 and N15 postcodes, generally referred to as Stamford Hill, Upper Clapton and South Tottenham, which includes these wards (wholly or partly) in Hackney & Haringey: Brownswood, Stoke Newington Central, Stamford Hill West, Woodbury Down (formerly Lordship & New River), Springfield, Cazenove, Leabridge, Hackney Downs, Seven Sisters and St. Ann's. On many occasions, especially during searches for High Risk Missing People, Stamford Hill Shomrim members would patrol out of these boundaries.[51]

Stamford Hill Shomrim is currently headed by three Trustees,[58] a Discipline Committee and an Executive Committee elected by its members. Rabbi Kurt Stern MBE[59] and Isaac Kornbluh[60] who are both members of the Hackney Police Independent Advisory Group, act as liaisons between Shomrim and the Police. In 2012, Joe Lobenstein MBE, formerly elected Mayor of Hackney on 4 consecutive elections,[61] was appointed as President of Stamford Hill Shomrim. Shomrim is registered with the Charity Commission as 'Community Safety Patrol' since 2012.[58]

In 2013, after the tragic murder of drummer Lee Rigby, and an increase in Hate Crime towards the wider Muslim Community,[62] Stamford Hill Shomrim offered to help the local Muslim Community and keep a watchful eye on local Mosques and Muslim Community Centres[63][64] which was gratefully welcomed by the North London Muslim Community as stated by 'Eusoof Amerat', a Muslim community advocate in Hackney[65] and commended by Hackney Police Borough Commander.[66] Shomrim also advised the centre on security issues according to 'Munaf Zeena' the chairman of the North London Muslim Community Centre.[65]

This good deed was included in the 2013 annual report on International Religious Freedom and recognised by the US Secretary of State John Kerry in his speech when publishing this report, saying "in London, an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood watch team helped Muslim leaders protect their mosque and prevent future attacks", He continued by saying "they will not receive prizes; they may not ever receive recognition. Their courage goes unremarked, but that makes it all the more remarkable" before finishing "Believe me, that’s the definition of courage".[67]

Stamford Hill Shomrim have on many occasions received public praise from the higher ranks, like on one occasion Metropolitan Police Superintendent David Grainger[29] after a successful double arrest for burglary on the vulnerable,[68] and have received applauds from Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Stephen Greenhalgh.[57] And most recently in June 2014 Stamford Hill Shomrim received a formal commendation award from the outgoing Hackney Police Borough Commander - Chief Superintendent Matthew Horne.[14][69]

In August 2014, Stamford Hill Shomrim organised its first annual Community Engagement Event where an estimated six thousand people participated,[70] for advice on crime prevention[71] and bike marking.[72]

Shomrim London NW (UK)[edit]
Shomrim London North West Community Patrol was founded by Gary Ost in 2008. Shomrim London NW is a non profit registered charity[73] which operates as "mobile neighborhood watch" and acts as eyes and ears to the local Community & the Metropolitan Police.[74] Volunteer Patrol members patrol the streets of Golders Green, Childs Hill, Hendon, Finchley and Temple Fortune whereby members report crime to the Metropolitan Police. At least 2 vehicles patrol the area every night.

Shomrim London NW operate a 24 hour emergency response team which will dispatch units to a scene of an emergency[75] and will liaise with the other responding emergency services. Volunteers are in radio contact, and dispatched via a central dispatcher.

Shomrim London NW has the capability to deal with various scenarios including the locating of missing persons[76] and protocols are in place for full scale searches with Stamford Hill Shomrim & North West London Shomrim working in partnership. All volunteers have completed training from the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command (SO15) in assisting to identify potential security threats and suspicious activity.

The Jewish Rabbinate in London have thanked Shomrim London NW for the dedication of its volunteers and for providing a valuable service in enhancing the quality of life within the Jewish neighborhood.[77] Shomrim London NW also acts as a liaison between the North West London community and the Metropolitan Police.[78]

Ost, chief executive of Shomrim North-West London feels that reporting rates have increased[74] in the borough of Barnet due to Shomrim's presence there and their work became doubly important during the London riots in July 2011[79]

did you read the post?

This was informal, not reported and without independent witnesses or CCTV, impossible to prove but is my fear, the appearance and actions of an erstwhile police force.

This is from wiki, it is not entirely clear re Showrim. For me, giving the appearance of a branch of the Police is the only concern:

The use of these colours in retro-reflective material is controlled by the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989, with vehicles only legally allowed the use of yellow retro-reflective material, although the emergency services operate under temporary special orders under section 44 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to use their own colours, with moves currently underway to formalise this in legislation and extend the use of other colours to civilian operators.[4][5] However, a number of civilian organisations have adopted the pattern, which is not legally protected, and a number of these also use other retro-reflective colours.