Please Be Aware
Since Oct 7, 2023, Secure Community Network (SCN) has received 328 Campus Hate submissions on college campuses nationwide: 96 incidents were complaints about professors/classroom behavior, 65 were reports of protests/demonstrations, and 51 were reports of social media activity. The rest were reports of vandalism/property damage, in-person incidents, flyering and stickering. Locally, we are seeing similar activity and are working closely with our colleges and universities to keep our Jewish students protected from increasingly disturbing and threatening rhetoric.
There has been an unprecedented rise in swatting incidents targeting Jewish organizations across the country in the last six months, intensifying in the last two months. In 2023, SCN recorded 998 incidents of swatting or false bomb threats, up from 115 in 2022, a 768% spike. Our Security Program is working with Jewish organizations and law enforcement to ensure they have the guidance and tools to keep the community safe amidst this growing threat.
Our Security Program is intensely focusing on the rising threat of foreign terror, which comes as a result of the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel. Hamas, Iranian proxies, and others have shown concerning signs of activity beyond the Middle East in Europe. We are closely monitoring their activities and movements in partnership with federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
All of the above is a reminder that we remain in a heightened threat posture. Please continue to report threatening behavior, suspicious incidents, and antisemitic graffiti/flyers to 911 as well as to the Jewish Federation by filing an Incident Report.
The federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) grant will likely open in May with a short deadline. On February 8th, 2:00 to 3:15 PM, SCN and expert panelists, including a representative from the ADL, will host a webinar to discuss current threats and risks to the Jewish community related to the NSGP grant application process. Register online. FEMA is also hosting a webinar series for applicants and stakeholders. Register at fema.gov. If you would plan to apply for this grant, or would like to learn more about it, please contact Erin Fagan at efagan@jfedpgh.org or 412-992-5252.
Security Matters in the News This Week
- Police Arrest Teen Said to Be Linked to Hundreds of Swatting Attacks (wired.com)
- U.S. Jewish schools see 47% increase in security costs since Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack in Israel (washingtontimes.com)
- Antisemitic comments directed at Norwalk Common Council trigger police, FBI probes (news12.com)
- Norwalk man threatened to ‘exterminate’ Jewish people and Asian Americans (foxla.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 efagan@jfedpgh.org.
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
Guardian Training
Please contact Erin Fagan at efagan@jfedpgh.org or 412-992-5252 to schedule this training.
Situational Awareness, Active Threat, and De-Escalation Training
If you or your organization have not yet had these training modules, please contact Erin Fagan at efagan@jfedpgh.org 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 efagan@jfedpgh.org or 412-992-5252.
