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NYPD Increasing Presence In Some Neighborhoods Following Six Alleged Anti-Semitic Incidents
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Dec 27, 2019
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By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Dec 27, 2019
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In the wake of the deadly shooting at a Jersey City kosher market, the New York Police Department is looking into six possible anti-Semitic hate crimes that occurred within the span of a week coinciding with the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.
On Friday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the NYPD would be increasing police presence in Borough Park, Crown Heights and Williamsburg, three Brooklyn neighborhoods with significant Orthodox Jewish communities. "Anti-Semitism is an attack on the values of our city — and we will confront it head-on," the de Blasio wrote in a tweet.
The city has been on high alert since a December 10th rampage in Jersey City that left six people dead, including the two shooters, who specifically targeted a Jewish market. Following the tragedy, in New York City, hundreds of NYPD officers were deployed to synagogues and other Jewish community sites as a precaution.
The recent string of incidents in New York have ranged from alleged harassment to physical assault, including one involving children. The first incident happened in Midtown on Monday, when a 65-year-old man accused another man of punching and kicking him and yelling "F— you, Jew." Police arrested Steven Jorge, from Miami, and charged him with assault as a hate crime.
The alleged attack, which occurred in broad daylight a few blocks from Grand Central, drew the attention of Governor Andrew Cuomo, who issued a statement saying he had directed state police to provide the NYPD with assistance on the investigation. "This horrific and cowardly act of anti-Semitism is repugnant to our values, and it's even more despicable that it occurred over the holidays," Cuomo said.
Then, that evening, a 67-year-old man in Williamsburg told police that a group of teenagers came up from behind and struck him and his 6-year-old son and a 7-year-old boy inside the lobby of a residential building. The teens fled the scene, and the victims were treated for minor injuries.
Two more incidents were reported on Tuesday, one of which involved a 56-year-old man who said he was punched by another man in Crown Heights.
On Thursday afternoon, a Jewish woman told police she was assaulted while she was with her 3-year-old son in the Gravesend section of Brooklyn. The attacker, who the Daily News reported was a homeless woman, allegedly yelled, "You f–king Jew, your end is coming!" and then hit the victim with her bag. Ayana Logan, 42, was charged with hate crime assault and child endangerment.
The sixth and latest incident occurred in Crown Heights around 1 a.m. on Friday morning, when three women reported being slapped in the head and face by a 30-year-old female. Police arrested Tiffany Harris, a Brooklyn woman, and charged her with harassment as a hate crime. Witnesses told police that Harris screamed “F-U Jews!” at the three victims, according to the Daily News.
Hate crimes in general are up 24 percent, with 309 incidents between January through September of this year, compared 250 during the same period last year, according to the latest NYPD data.
Of those hate crimes, 166 were classified as anti-Semitic, a jump of 54% over the prior year.
Tagged
anti-semiticism
hate crimes
hate crime task force
Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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