Please Be Aware
On Wednesday afternoon, Hardy Lloyd was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison with 3 years of supervised release based on his guilty plea on Sept 19, 2023, for obstruction of justice related to his tampering with witnesses and jurors during the synagogue shooter trial.
FBI and DHS released a public service announcement (PSA) regarding potential threats during the upcoming holiday season. Read the announcement on ic3.gov.
More than 30 of the 56 FBI field offices (to include FBI Pittsburgh) are investigating the hoax bomb threats and are pursuing those responsible for violations of multiple federal laws. Based on similar language and specific email tradecraft used, it appears the perpetrators of these threats are connected. Additionally, these threats appear to be originating from outside of the US. To date, none of these email threats have involved any actual explosive devices or credible risk of harm to congregants.
SCN has tracked more than 449 swatting incidents and bomb threats in 2023 to date, up 541% from 2022 (83 incidents), and compared to a total of 23 between 2019-2021.
Incidents of antisemitic graffiti are continuing to increase. We are working with law enforcement on this matter. Please report this graffiti to 911 and provide as many details as you can, then notify us via the Incident Report.
In Pittsburgh, year to date, the Jewish Federation has logged 295 incidents in our Virtual Command Center, this compares to 122 incidents for the entire year of 2022. We remain in a heightened threat environment and are working closely with law enforcement to monitor potential threat activity.
Security Matters in the News This Week
- White supremacist Hardy Lloyd to spend 6 ½ years in prison | The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle (jewishchronicle.com)
- Boy guilty of attack plot on Temple Israel Canton Jewish synagogue (cantonrep.com)
- US Jews suffer nearly 200 swatting, false bomb threats on Saturday – The Jerusalem Post (wgrz.com)
- Hutchinson Central Technical High School Incident (wgrz.com)
BluePoint Status
As we are back-to-school, please review your current contact lists in BluePoint. If changes are needed, please contact Erin Fagan at [email protected].
Our BluePoint training video and refresher video are available on YouTube. These are useful for new staff or as a reminder for existing staff.
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.
De-Escalation Training
Please contact Erin Fagan at [email protected] or 412-992-5252 to schedule this training.
Situational Awareness, Active Threat, and Usher/Greeter Training
If you or your organization have not yet had these training modules, please contact Erin Fagan at [email protected] or 412-992-5252. All can be made available in person or via Zoom.
If you need more Emergency Safety Procedures Flip Charts contact Erin Fagan at [email protected] or 412-992-5252.
