Thames Valley Police said it is carrying out ‘dedicated patrols’ of synagogues and other Jewish venues on its patch after the news of the attacks in Sydney yesterday.
A father and son killed at least 15 people in a mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday (December 14). At least 42 people have also been hospitalised.
TVP sent out a statement saying:
“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragic events in Sydney earlier today, including those who have lost loved ones and the emergency responders who acted so swiftly.
“Officers across the Thames Valley are carrying out dedicated patrols around synagogues and other Jewish venues as part of our policing plan for Hanukkah.”
Chief Superintendent Steve Raffield said: “Our thoughts are with the Jewish community, the victims, families and all affected by the terrorist incident in Australia.
“We are working closely with our partners, faith leaders and community leads to ensure our communities are safe.
“There is no intelligence to suggest any threat in the Thames Valley, but we want to ask the public to remain vigilant.”
Police ‘urge everyone to remain alert’ when attending events or in public spaces.
If you see something that doesn’t feel right, ‘trust your instincts and report it to us,’ they said.
In an emergency, always dial 999.
Rabbi René Pfertzel of Maidenhead Synagogue said that the police have been ‘superb’ while the community grieves, but also carries on as best it can.
“Yesterday (Sunday), we had our first night of Hanukkah, so we did the lighting [of candles], we had some food and sang some songs,” he said.
“What happened in Australia really was very much in the back of our minds, but nobody said, ‘I’m afraid, I don’t want to come.’”
“[The local police] came around and patrolled in the in the neighbourhood, we had lots of support from them.
“I got a message from the Chief Superintendent quite early in the morning on Sunday showing his support and all the measures they put in place to protect the community. My security team really appreciated it.”
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