Police increase patrols at US places of worship amid attack on Israel and start of Jewish high holidays
A security camera hangs across the street from the Park East Synagogue
(CNN) — Police departments across the US are increasing patrols in Jewish communities and at places of worship amid Iran’s latest strike on Israel, the start of the Jewish High Holidays on Wednesday – and the upcoming one-year anniversary of the October 7 Hamas terror attack.
Officials told CNN the increased police presence at key locations is out of an abundance of caution as a deterrent and was not based on any specific threats. Despite the lack of any known credible threats, law enforcement officials have described the potential for violence from so-called “lone wolf” attackers as among their most serious concerns during what they have described as a heightened threat environment.
The increased patrols come as Rosh Hashanah – which is the first of the high holidays and considered the Jewish New Year – is set to begin at sunset Wednesday and end at nightfall Friday. Next week, Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, will be celebrated beginning Friday at sunset through nightfall on Saturday.
The NYPD assumed an increased patrol posture on Monday, a law enforcement source told CNN, which is expected to be maintained throughout the next two weeks.
NYPD will also partner with state police for explosive detection missions at bridges and tunnels, and helicopter units will be used for radiation detection, the source said.
Los Angeles police department leaders recently participated in a security town hall with Jewish community leaders in Southern California to discuss the ramping up of patrols during the religious holidays. The LAPD has routinely increased its presence at both Jewish and Muslim houses of worship based on turmoil in the Middle East.
At the town hall last week, the LAPD said its patrols would include an increased number of officers on the beat, command post vehicles, and horse mounted units. The meeting was intended to reassure members of the Jewish community, many of whom have expressed concerns about security after an anti-Semitic attack in the city last year where two men were shot leaving a Jewish synagogue by a man who was sentenced Monday to 35 years in federal prison.
Chicago police said the department plans to give “special attention to houses of worship” and will be monitoring all activity. “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,” said the department in a statement.
Asked about Tuesday’s attack on Israel, a spokesperson for the Miami Beach Police Department said it had “heightened our uniformed presence across the city to ensure public safety.”
The Philadelphia Police Department told CNN it was closely monitoring the situation in Israel “and assessing any potential impacts on our local community. Out of an abundance of caution, we have taken proactive measures, including increased patrols around local Jewish and Islamic places of worship and community centers, to ensure the safety of all community members.”
In addition to law enforcement agencies, national Jewish security organizations have been working to identify any potential threats to houses of worship in the US.
“What we have previously told Jewish institutions is that at this time, there is no known credible threat to the Jewish Community in the U.S.,” said Oren Segal, Vice President of the Center on Extremism at the Anti-Defamation League, adding the organization recommends places of worship remain open during the high holidays.
“However, given the heightened tensions and increased risk to the community at this time, we recommend institutions review and implement a series of security precautions and procedures,” Segal said.
CNN’s Whitney Wild, Ryan Young, Mark Morales and Brynn Gingras contributed to this report.
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