Joint Terrorism Task Force Increases by 10 Officers

By Yehudit Garmaise

Last Thursday,  a mob of menacing pro-Palestinian teenagers headed to Boro Park to shout, march, and curse at locals after walking out of their public schools to support Hamas.

Sadly, following the historical pattern that when Israel is forced to defend itself after ruthless attacks, hate crimes and hate speech that target Jews spike, the NYPD has reported that anti-Semitic incidents more than tripled in October.

After Hamas’ horrific pogrom near Israel’s western coast on Oct. 7, the number of incidents the NYPD investigated was 69, which spiked from 22 incidents in October in 2022.

The total number of bias incidents investigated by the NYPD Hate Crime Task Force increased by 124 percent in October, led by a 214% spike in anti-Jewish incidents, reported Gov. Hochul, who directed an additional $2.5 million to the New York State Police to deploy ten additional investigators in New York City, Albany, Buffalo, and Rochester.

The additional state police officers will serve in the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).

“I immediately deployed the New York State Police on Oct. 7 to protect at-risk communities, and we have continued our laser focus on public safety since then,” Gov. Hochul said. “Surging resources to the JTTF is a critical step to ensure New Yorkers are protected from domestic and international threats.”

On Oct. 20, the governor created a new hotline at (844) NO-2-HATE and an Online Form on which New Yorkers who experience hate and bias can call to report incidents to HBPU.

Although Boro Parkers feel safe in general within the neighborhood, one resident says he “is not looking to go out at night alone out of the area where no other Yidden are around.”

In the climate of increased hate against Jewish people, fewer local men are using the subway to get to work, and many women and girls avoid the subway altogether for fear of the climate of hate against Jewish people, another Boro Park resident told BoroPark24.

Police cannot do anything about the city’s increased atmosphere of anti-Semitism because the current pro-Palestinian protests, which often include calls to violence against Jews, are considered “free speech” by the state.

“As long as people who scream biased and hateful things don’t say they will kill you, those people are not considered ‘a threat,’” said Yaakov L.

Perel, a student who has to get to Manhattan once a week for school said she feels very increased anti-Semitic sentiment whenever she has to leave Brooklyn.

“Manhattan is messed up,” agreed Yossi, also said many Brooklynites try to avoid going to the city right now.

While increased police presences in Jewish neighborhoods are necessary during this time of rapid anti-Semitism, residents also hope that district attorneys will make efforts to prosecute those who commit hate crimes to the full extent of the law.

A Brooklyn cop previously told BoroPark24 that “less bail, plus district attorneys who are not prosecuting and judges who downgrade cops’ charges are directly to blame for the uptick in crime in general and hate crimes.”