Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly welcomed approximately 200 religious leaders and Jewish community representatives at the NYPD pre-Pesach meeting held today at Police Headquarters ahead of the Pesach next week. The annual event previewed security preparations for Pesach and Birchas Hachama next Wednesday, Erev Pesach, and it also provided attendees with an intelligence briefing on the status of terrorist groups in the Western world.”We know of no plan to target Jewish sites in New York City, but we remain vigilant,” Kelly said. “As in years past, we’ll dedicate additional resources to precincts with large Jewish communities, including foot posts, visits by officers to synagogues, anti-crime units and Community Affairs outreach.”
In addition, some shuls and yeshivos will be patrolled by NYPD teams of heavily armed officers deployed specifically to deter terrorist activity.
Following remarks by Chief Chaplain Rabbi Dr. Alan Kass, Director of Intelligence Analysis Mitch Silber presented an NYPD Intelligence Division Terrorist Threat Update.
“Al Qaeda still poses a significant threat to the City of New York because its leaders are still around and ideology proliferates on the Internet,” Silber said. “The NYPD is fully aware of other threats, including Hezbollah and Al Qaeda affiliates, and actively considers these as part of ongoing efforts to protect the city.”
{Elisha Ferber-Matzav.com Newscenter}
