Please Be Aware
The Schenley Plaza encampment was completely disbanded on April 29. From the start, we were in frequent contact with both the Pittsburgh Police Chief and Public Safety Director, as well as local law enforcement as we closely monitored this. As a collaborative effort, the Pittsburgh Police Chief provided frequent updates on the negotiations with the students, and their commitment to peacefully vacate the premises. See below article for more information.
The Jewish Federation has launched a Virtual Block Watch Program, a volunteer network that can be called upon to provide residential or business video surveillance footage to help prevent, deter, and possibly solve crimes. The program is entirely voluntary and is designed to keep our community safe through collaboration. More information can be found on our Virtual Block Watch page.
Year to date 2024, the Jewish Federation has logged 106 incidents in our Virtual Command Center. This compares to 38 year to date 2023. 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 House condemns student takeover of Columbia U building and protesters’ use of ‘intifada’ (jta.org)
- NYPD storms into Columbia University to clear out anti-Israel mob (nypost.com)
- Penn’s interim president tells pro-Palestinian protesters to disband encampment immediately (6abc.com)
BluePoint Status
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.
Request Training for Your Organization →
If you need more Emergency Safety Procedures Flip Charts contact Erin Fagan at efagan@jfedpgh.org or 412-992-5252.
