HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE THANKSGIVING!
(There will be no newsletter next week)
Please Be Aware
Last weekend we had numerous reports of targeted, antisemitic flyering and stickering in the Squirrel Hill, Bloomfield and North Shore areas in what appears to be a coordinated effort Saturday night into Sunday morning. We are actively working with law enforcement on this. See the top article below.
The two defendants in the federal hate crime case from the July 29th graffiti at the Jewish Federation and Chabad of Squirrel Hill were indicted by a Federal Grand Jury on Wednesday. There were no charges, this was more procedural. The defendants remain in home confinement via electronic monitoring with strict restrictions to include computer use.
The above case underscores the importance of video surveillance cameras as an investigative tool and their use in identifying perpetrators and vehicles. Please consider joining the Jewish Federation’s Virtual Block Watch Program. The program is entirely voluntary and is designed to keep our community safe through collaboration.
Year to date 2024, the Jewish Federation has logged 270 incidents in our Virtual Command Center. This compares to 249 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
- Pittsburgh police investigating recent reports of antisemitic vandalism (WPXI.com)
- Four U of R students charged in antisemitic poster case; fifth suspect being investigated (13wham.com)
- Man who attempted terror attack on Jewish New Yorkers in 2022 sentenced to 10 years in prison (jta.com)
- MBA Student Gone After Swastika Vandalism (nashvillescene.com)
BluePoint Status
Next week we will be doing the installation of BluePoint at Aleph Institute and Kollel Learning Center.
If you need Go Bags, Emergency Safety Procedures Flip Charts or medical supplies 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 Go Bags, Emergency Safety Procedures Flip Charts or medical supplies contact Erin Fagan at efagan@jfedpgh.org or 412-992-5252.
