The Metropolitan Police has established a new force of 100 officers to increase protection of Jewish communities across London amid a recent rise in anti-Semitic incidents. Police said the new community protection team would include community officers, specialist protection units and officers with counter-terrorism expertise.It follows a number of attacks on Jewish venues in the capital, including an arson attack and a double stabbing in Golders Green, which investigators regard as terrorism-related.Police say about 50 people have been arrested for anti-Semitic hate crimes in recent weeks and eight people have been charged so far.The incidents included attacks on synagogues, the Jewish Ambulance Service and the Golders Green Memorial Wall.Metropolitan Police Chief Constable Mark Rowley said additional officers would help improve safety and reassure communities at a time of heightened concern.The BBC quoted him as saying: “The establishment of a new community protection team of around 100 police officers is an important step in strengthening our response to the ongoing threats to the Jewish community.”Rowley added that police were working with the government and the London Mayor’s office to secure long-term support for the initiative.The deployment follows the Government’s £25m funding package for protective policing, with £18m allocated to the Metropolitan Police.According to police, the funding has already supported the deployment of more officers across London through overtime and reallocation measures.Police said the new team would initially focus on anti-Semitic threats but could later be adapted to support other communities facing a surge in hate-related crime, including anti-Muslim abuse, racism and homophobia.
