Please Be Aware
On February 26, 2024, new protocols were announced for Pittsburgh Bureau of Police that may cause a reduction in officer response time, especially during the early morning hours. We recognize that this might be of concern to people throughout our local Jewish community. Let’s together use this as a tangible reminder to remain vigilant about safety and security and practice good situational awareness. We have many security protocols in our community, and we need to leverage those.
The assailant who opened fire at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston on February 11, 2024, expressed antisemitic, anti-Zionist rhetoric as well as explicit support for U.S.-designated terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. She posted antisemitic comments and threats of violence towards Jews online prior to the attack. It is unclear at this time why the assailant decided to target the church, as she had posted on Telegram that she intended to carry out an attack at a pro-Israel rally.
So far in 2024, the Jewish Federation has logged 41 incidents in our Virtual Command Center. 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
- Patriot Front Leader Arrested in Texas on Virginia Intimidation Charges (rollingstone.com)
- U.S. airman dies after self-immolating outside Israeli embassy in protest of Israel-Hamas war – Jewish Telegraphic Agency (jta.org)
- University Receives ‘Unsubstantiated’ Threat of Violence in Anonymous Email – The Cornell Daily Sun (cornellsun.com)
BluePoint Status
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.
Guardian Training
Please contact Erin Fagan at [email protected] 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 [email protected] or 412-992-5252. All can be made available in person or via Zoom.
Request Training for Your Organization →
If you need more Emergency Safety Procedures Flip Charts contact Erin Fagan at [email protected] or 412-992-5252.
