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Extra Vigilance in Our Synagogues - SCN alert

July 31, 2006

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On Friday, July 28, a woman was killed and five other people were shot at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, WA. Allegedly, suspect Naveed Afzal Haq said “I am a Muslim American, angry at Israel,” and then opened fire on the crowd within. Over the weekend, several synagogues and Jewish institutions in South Florida were defaced; and, a synagogue in Australia was attacked. In 1994, Rashid Baz heard a critical speech about Israel from an Imam; in response Baz took an arsenal to the streets, injuring several and killing Ari Halberstam. News from the Middle East does tend to evoke radical reactions here. From the situation in the Middle East to the anti-Semitic diatribe of Mel Gibson reported in the news, there are reasons for extra vigilance in our synagogues.

That being said, there is no specific “chatter” aimed at any specific Jewish institution or community that law enforcement agencies are reporting. All the same, it is strongly recommended that Synagogue leaders reach out to local law enforcement agencies. Please share with your local precinct the times of minyanim – Shabbat, daily, Tisha B’Av etc. – and especially the times of any planned gatherings in the synagogue or community – and more so if the events are publicly advertised. A Synagogue would do well to have a standing Security Committee, which will have ready access to law enforcement and security contacts.

Below are some slightly more specific suggested actions, first from the New York Jewish Community Relations Council, and then from the Secure Communities Network [SCN].

To contact the OU about this, or other synagogue matters, email waxmanm@ou.org or call 212-613-8285.



From the Jewish Community Relations Council:
[…The police can not be everywhere and institutions should carefully review their security measures. No one should enter a Jewish building unchallenged. In other words, anyone entering should be identified and their stated business in the building verified. Bags and packages should be checked as appropriate.]

The New York City Police Department is working closely with Seattle authorities and has put together an excellent analysis of the shootings. It can be found at the NYPD Counterterrorism website.

They note that a recent Aywan al-Zawahiri message counseled, "Muslim brothers everywhere, we must target Jewish and American interests everywhere."

They also remind us of the history of lone wolf terrorist actors:

· 1994 shooting of Ari Halberstam on the Brooklyn Bridge

· 1997 Empire State Building shootings

· 2002 shooting at the El Al terminal at LAX

The presentation concludes that, "New York City features a range of hard and soft Jewish and Israeli targets, and a range of targets that could be interpreted as, 'Jewish interests'".

Certainly our recommendations are more important than ever:

1. Law enforcement officials suggest that you advise your local police precinct of any upcoming gatherings, including Tisha B’Av services. You should be in regular contact with your precinct community affairs officer(s) and/or commanding officer. If you need help contacting your local precinct call the JCRC at (212) 983-4800, ext. 132 or email us at pollockd@jcrcny.org.

2. Those responsible for Jewish institutions should be extra vigilant. Be aware. Ask your members and affiliates to report any unusual incident to the New York City Police Counterterrorism Hotline at (888) NYC-SAFE (NYPD will pass information to the appropriate jurisdiction outside of New York City.) Try to obtain a physical description of the suspicious individual (e.g., gender, complexion, hair color, height and weight), license numbers and any other identifying characteristics. (Photographs are valuable and a disposable camera is ideal for such situations.) Do not try to confront the individual. Police officials want you to report anything that seems out of kilter. They would rather have too many calls than miss an important piece of intelligence that you might have.

If you need help contacting your local precinct call the JCRC at (212) 983-4800, ext. 132 or email us at pollockd@jcrcny.org.

The United Jewish Communities, The Jewish Community Relations Council and John Jay College of Criminal Justice have prepared a manual on emergency planning which includes chapters by the Anti-Defamation League on security. If you wish to receive a copy of the manual send an e-mail to pollockd@jcrcny.org.


SCN Alert 07/28/06

This is an official Secure Community Alert Network Message: According to reliable law enforcement sources, including the FBI, DHS, Seattle Police and other law enforcement officials, on Friday at 4:04 PM Pacific Daylight Time, one male reported to be Pakistani entered the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, 2031 3rd Ave. Seattle, Washington and fired five shots into a crowd of people. The suspect was quoted as saying he was “upset about what was going on in Israel”. Seattle law enforcement has stated that they do not believe the suspect has any accomplices or accessories. However, they are also reaching out to the local Jewish community to provide a police presence for the sake of deterrence.

SCN recommends that all recipients of this alert notify their members, constituents and affiliates to undertake the following recommended actions:

Initiate and maintain contact with local law enforcement agency liaisons.
Notify the local police of any unusual activities or incidents as soon as possible
Distribute a simple, straightforward security policy statement that informs all employees and members that security is a shared responsibility and serves as the foundation for issuance of security procedures.
Monitor performance of security duties such as the control of building entrances; regulation and monitoring of lobby pedestrian traffic; patrol and checks of the building and perimeter before closing and upon opening; inspection of incoming material and personnel; safety inspection of facilities and resources; and, in conjunction with the facility manager, appropriate response to special situations and security activities.
100% ID check along with escorted visitor policy. Additionally it is recommended that scheduled appointments be documented and shared with security to monitor access. Require all visitors to sign a visitor log and to be escorted at all times.

The following sections of the SCN web site provide additional recommendations and can be found at http://www.scnus.org :

Institutional Safety and Security Library

Houses of Worship
Jewish Community Centers
Businesses

Best Practice Archive

Security Houses of Worship
Homicide Bombings

Model Security Policies and Procedures

Target Hardening
Access Control


SCN will be sharing all relevant updates as the information becomes available. SCN can be contacted at 212.284.6940