Please Be Aware
Pennsylvania was one of the top states that saw white supremacy propaganda in 2022, along with Washington, Montana, Oklahoma, New York, Virginia, North Carolina and Texas. Read more on penncapital-star.org →
Revised FBI Hate Crime stats released Monday show hate crimes in the U.S. jumped again in 2021. The almost 12% increase shows a reversal of a previous, incomplete report showing a drop but was missing data from some of the nation’s largest cities, including NY and LA. Most victims, 64.5% were targeted due to race, ethnicity or ancestry, 16% were targeted over sexual orientation, and 14% involved religious bias. Half of religious cases targeted Jewish people. Read more on apnews.com →
On Thursday, March 30, 2023, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. the Pennsylvania Office of Homeland Security (OHS), in partnership with DHS, PEMA, Pennsylvania State Police, the three Fusion Centers across the Commonwealth, Faith-based Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (FB-ISAO), and the ADL, is offering a quarterly virtual learning series to faith-based organizations. These series have been very valuable, and provide important information to religious leaders, security personnel, and members of houses of worship to enhance security and prepare for outdoor events. Register on eventbrite.com →
Security Matters in the News This Week
- “This is a hate crime” : Cape Coral Chabad Jewish Center attacked by vandal (nbc-2.com →)
- Jewish organization says antisemitic incidents increased 6% in Wisconsin in 2022 (wuwm.com →)
BluePoint Status
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
First Quarter Faith-Based Security and Resilience Learning Series
Monday, March 24 @ 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDTThe Pennsylvania Office of Homeland Security and partners cordially invite you to attend the first quarterly event of our virtual learning series for faith-based organizations on Monday, March 24, 2025. In this first segment of our series, we will be hearing from Mr. Magnus Hakonsen, a survivor of the deadliest mass shooting in Norway's history. On July 22, 2011, Mr. Hakonsen was attending a political youth camp on the island of Utoya when a lone gunman attacked, killing 69 people and injuring 32. In April 2023, he was elected to the board of the National Support Group of Victims of 22 July, which is a group that supports victims of the 2011 terror attack. Magnus is passionate about putting victim perspectives higher up on the agenda when dealing with the aftermath of terror attacks and providing a voice for other victims. We will also hear from Mr. Gregory Davidson Jr., Protective Security Advisor, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Department of Homeland Security, who will discuss physical security performance goals for faith-based communities. And lastly, Mr. Dennis Ryan, Office of Intelligence and Analysis, Department of Homeland Security, will provide a threat briefing. Guidance and resources will be provided via handouts and there will be time set aside at the end for Questions & Answers.
Advanced Community Active Threat Training (CATT)
Monday, March 24 @ 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM EDTPittsburgh, 15213 + Google Map
This event has been canceled. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Feel empowered on campus with this class that teaches:
- The mind of the active shooter-predator vs. prey
- Situational awareness and survival mindset
- Basic self-defense techniques and weapons awareness and disarming techniques
- Reality based training
NEW: De-Escalation Training
Please contact Erin Fagan at efagan@jfedpgh.org or 412-992-5252 to schedule this training.
Situational Awareness, Active Threat, and Usher/Greeter 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.