LAPD ramps up patrols as Jewish communities mark anniversary of Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel

LOS ANGELES (KABC) — The Los Angeles Police Department stepped up its patrols Monday as the Jewish community gathered to mark the one-year anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

This comes as police departments across the country ramped up patrols around Jewish and Muslim institutions as a precaution in response to the escalating conflict in the Middle East, Monday’s October 7 anniversary and the Jewish High Holidays.

In the Pico-Robertson neighborhood, LAPD’s mounted unit was spotted patrolling several streets while other officers patrolled on foot.

Police said there have been no known threats Monday. Meanwhile, dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters are set to hold rallies, marches and walkouts throughout the city.

“We do this every High Holiday season but yeah, this one feels different,” said LAPD Capt. Steve Lurie. “The community feels vulnerable. They’re scared, they’re still mourning the losses of a year ago today, and it’s an important role for our police department to be out here showing emotional support for our community, and that’s really what this is all about.”

Threats to Jews in the U.S. tripled in the one-year period since the October 7 attack, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

“Last year, really, in modern history, is unparalleled here in our country, here in our city,” said Jeffrey Abrams, the Regional Director of ADL Los Angeles. “We’re feeling it. the Jewish community is feeling it in its souls and in its bones, but we also know from history, and we’re in that special period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and we know from our history we’ve been challenged before, but our history is one of resilience, and that’s the spirit as we go into today October 7.”

Since last October’s terrorist attack, “Jewish Americans haven’t had a single moment of respite,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. “Instead, we’ve faced a shocking number of antisemitic threats and experienced calls for more violence against Israelis and Jews everywhere.”

Since the war between Israel and Hamas began, reports of hate crimes and bias incidents targeting Jews, Muslims and Arabs have surged across the U.S.

In April, the Council on American-Islamic Relations said it had received 8,061 reports of anti-Muslim bias in 2023, the highest number in the 28 years the group has tracked hate.

“If you see something, say something,” Greenblatt said on Sunday in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash. “We need people to report incidents. We need people to speak up. We should not be afraid in our own country.”

READ MORE: Historic spike in anti-Jewish threats across the US since Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, ADL says

CNN contributed to this report.