Jewish places of worship will be getting a boost in law enforcement protection ahead of the start of the High Holiday season.
Police departments across the United States are increasing their presence at Jewish places of worship out of an abundance of caution due to Iran’s attack on Israel on Tuesday, as well as antisemitism, which continues to rise. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins at sundown on Wednesday night.
The New York City Police Department increased its patrol near Jewish worship sites and is expected to continue to do so for the next two weeks through Yom Kippur, according to CNN. The NYPD will also partner with state police for explosive detection missions at bridges and tunnels.
“We got this,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said. “This city is under watch.”
In addition to the Iranian attacks on Israel, the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel makes the preexisting heightened threat environment “ratcheted up even further,” Rebecca Weiner, NYPD deputy police commissioner, said. She noted that no credible threats have been identified.
Los Angeles Police Department leaders recently participated in a security town hall with Jewish community leaders in Southern California to discuss increasing police presence ahead of the holidays. Due to increased tensions in the Middle East in the last year, the LAPD has oftentimes increased its presence at both Jewish and Muslim places of worship.
“I can tell you that we have been planning and meeting not only internally but with our other law enforcement partners to provide a safe time period for (holiday gatherings),” Dominic Choi, LAPD interim chief, told KNX News.
“You’ll see a strategic presence of our law enforcement professionals out there at critical sites, engaging with our community leaders, talking, so everyone’s informed of how to contact us, how to get early notifications if we see anything — see something, say something,” he added.
In Chicago, police are also planning on increasing their patrolling during this time.
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“While there is no actionable intelligence at this time, we will have an increased police presence to ensure the city’s faith communities are not only safe, but feel safe,” the Chicago Police Department said in a statement.
The Miami Beach Police Department, an area with a high concentration of Jews, said it had “heightened our uniformed presence across the city to ensure public safety.”