New 100-Strong Met Unit To Protect Jewish People In London
An extra 100 police officers are being deployed across London’s Jewish communities following the Golders Green stabbing last week, with more antisemitic attacks feared to follow.
The Metropolitan Police said this unit will provide a “more visible, intelligence-led, and coordinated presence” to help Jews feel safe in London.
This comes after Met Commissioner Mark Rowley spoke of a “pandemic” of antisemitism in the UK, including…
- the double stabbing in Golders Green
- the arson attacks on Jewish ambulances
- attacks on synagogues
- over 80 arrests related to antisemitic hate crimes and terrorism-related probes in the four weeks
This is all being supported by a £25 million government funding package, with £18 million specifically allocated to the Met.
The initiative has rubbed some people up the wrong way. After all, it does seem that higher-ups get involved a lot quicker and more emphatically for the Jewish community, when it comes to this sort of thing.
However, the Met has assured that this team will serve as a “blueprint” for responding to future spikes in hate crime against other religious or ethnic groups, not just Jews.
It said: ‘This focus does not mean the Metropolitan Police is deprioritising other communities. Hate crime in all its forms – including ongoing efforts to tackle racism, anti‑Muslim hate crime, homophobia and other forms of hatred in the capital – remains a core policing priority.’
Just more police officers in general around London might be a good idea, as they often don’t seem to be there when you need them.
Fortunately, they did eventually turn up in Golders Green and dealt with the suspect in uncharacteristically brutal fashion. Many were happy to see it! Others were not.
