Please Be Aware
FOR AWARENESS: Social media reports are showing that October 7–11 has been deemed a nationwide “Week of Rage—1 Year of Genocide For For Gaza We Rise” during which students across the country and the world will “rise together for a week of rage to mark a year of genocide in Gaza.” This could impact college and university law enforcement partners and security operations on or near college campuses. We are monitoring this closely and have no derogatory or concerning information impacting Pittsburgh at this time.
2023 FBI Hate Crime statistics just released this week show a total of 1,832 anti-Jewish reported hate crimes. In the religious bias category (comprised of 14 different religions), Jews continue to be most targeted at 67% up from 56% in 2022. More information can be found in the article below and in this report Jewish Community Most-Targeted Religious Group In FBI’s 2023 Hate Crime Report — 21% Surge Amidst Unprecedented Post-07 October Threat Environment (mailchi.mp).
2024 scams are on the rise and the Western Pennsylvania All Hazards Fusion Center has compiled a list of scams to be on the lookout for. For more information, please see 2024 Scams.
Year to date 2024, the Jewish Federation has logged 220 incidents in our Virtual Command Center. This compares to 204 year to date 2023. We remain in a heightened threat environment and are working closely with law enforcement to monitor potential threat activity. Please continue to report any suspicious incidents via the Incident Report Form.
Security Matters in the News This Week
- Jews are the most targeted religious group, FBI says (jpost.com)
- Neo-Nazi power grid plot: Woman sentenced to 18 years (thebaltimorebanner.com)
- Aurora changes public comment requirements following discriminatory incident (denver7.com)
BluePoint Status
This week we will be doing the installation of BluePoint at Friendship Circle, Bnai Emunoh and Shaare Torah.
If you need Go Bags, Emergency Safety Procedures Flip Charts or medical supplies 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 Go Bags, Emergency Safety Procedures Flip Charts or medical supplies contact Erin Fagan at [email protected] or 412-992-5252.
