On Saturday, June 26th, following Shabbat services, NYPD Police Commissioner Dermot Shea visited Manhattan’s Park East Synagogue.
Shea visited the affluent orthodox synagogue on 67th Street to participate in a three-way forum along with Senior Rabbi Arthur Schneier, and FBI New York assistant director William F. Sweeney.
The panel event was intended to address efforts by the NYPD and FBI to combat antisemitism in New York City.The event comes after a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents in New York. In 2021, there was a 64% increase in antisemitic incidents compared to 2020, according to the Police.This discussion takes place a mere few weeks after the US saw an uptick in antisemitic attacks following last month’s conflict between Israel and Hamas. During the discussion, Sweeney addressed this increase by explaining that "some of the norms in society seem to have changed for the worse – and then there’s some of the problems in the Middle East that exacerbate the problem.” This event is part of a broader plan initiated by the NYPD and FBI to address antisemitism, which was announced on May 29. Prior initiatives of this venture included meetings with Jewish community groups and leaders.The plan also includes the creation of posters in both Yiddish and Hebrew on how to report antisemitic crimes.Additionally, the NYPD has stationed officers in Jewish neighborhoods to help combat this increase.
