Please Be Aware
Edward Owens, the individual who made online antisemitic threats directed at a Pittsburgh public official, pled guilty to transmitting an interstate threat and making false statements to a government official in federal court this week. He faces up to 33 months in prison and will remain in custody pending sentencing on April 13. Please see the article below for more details.
The suspect in the fire that destroyed a synagogue in Mississippi on January 10 has confessed. Stephen Pittman admitted to starting the fire due to “the building’s Jewish ties” and referred to the institution as “synagogue of Satan”. He was charged by the FBI with “maliciously damaging or destroying a building by means of fire or an explosive”. Read bulletin here SCN SITUATION REPORT: Suspect Arrested In Mississippi Synagogue Arson.
So far in 2026 we have logged 5 incidents in our Virtual Command Center which is in comparison to 10 at this time last year. Please continue to report any suspicious incidents via the Incident Report Form.
Security Matters in the News This Week
- Defendant pleads guilty to threatening Pittsburgh public official, lying to FBI (jewishchronicle.timesofisrael.com)
- Suspect in Mississippi arson confesses to targeting synagogue because of ‘Jewish ties’ (jewishinsider.com)
- Troy man charged with hate crime for allegedly threatening Jewish man (timesunion.com)
- Hateful graffiti with swastika, racial slurs discovered outside Boca Raton office building (www.wflx.com)
BluePoint Status
BluePoint is now live in 34 of the 36 locations. Police boxes have been installed at 29 of our organizations, enabling law enforcement to have immediate access in an emergency.
Security Resources and/or Training
Navigating Digital Threats: Strategies to Prevent Online Child Exploitation
Ahead of the next school year, please join the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse for a virtual training on preventing and responding to online child exploitation in K-12 communities. This session will feature a panel discussion with experts from the U.S. Department of Justice and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, who will share valuable tools and resources to combat online child exploitation and educate teachers, students and families.
In the event of an emergency, please be aware that we have adopted the Standard Response Protocol to best communicate across communities and emergency response teams.
Request Training for Your Organization →
If you need Go Bags, Emergency Safety Procedures Flip Charts or medical supplies contact Erin Fagan at [email protected] or 412-992-5252.
