In response to a hostage situation at a synagogue near Fort Worth, Texas, local authorities are stepping up patrols around synagogues in Southern California on Saturday.
The City of Beverly Hills announced on Twitter that the Beverly Hills Police Department would increase patrols “around our Jewish places of worship.”
The increase is “out of caution,” and no threats have been made against the Beverly Hills community, the city said.
Due to the ongoing hostage situation at a Texas synagogue, and as a precaution, the Beverly Hills Police Department will be increasing patrols around our Jewish places of worship. There is no threat to public safety in our community.
— CityofBeverlyHills (@CityofBevHills) January 15, 2022
The Beverly Hills Police Department watch commander confirmed there would be additional patrols but did not say what specific times of day they would occur.
The Los Angeles Police Department also said on Twitter that it would increase patrols around synagogues in the LA area.
We are closely following a hostage situation unfolding at a synagogue in Colleyville, TX. We are working with our federal partners, increasing patrols around LA synagogues as a precautionary measure and conducting public outreach to keep Angelenos safe. https://t.co/ASQ9hRChVH
— LAPD Headquarters (@LAPDHQ) January 15, 2022
“We are closely following a hostage situation taking place at a synagogue in Colleyville, TX,” the statement said. “We are working with our federal partners, increasing patrols around LA synagogues as a precautionary measure and conducting public outreach to keep Angelenos safe.”
According to Texas authorities, a man in Colleyville — a town about 15 minutes northeast of Fort Worth — took the rabbi of the Beth Israel congregation, along with others, hostage.
The man holding the hostages told authorities he wanted Aafia Siddiqui’s release from federal prison. Siddiqui is being held in a Forth Worth jail after being convicted by a federal jury of attempted murder of US officers in Afghanistan in 2010.
At least four hostages were believed to be inside the synagogue and people in the surrounding neighborhood were evacuated while Colleyville police conducted SWAT operations.
About a month ago, two incidents of anti-Semitic hate speech occurred in Southern California. Posters falsely claiming that the COVID-19 pandemic was a Jewish conspiracy were found in Pasadena, Beverly Hills and the Fairfax District of Los Angeles.
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