[PHOTO LINK BELOW] Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly on Monday presided over the annual “High Holy Days briefing” held by the New York City Police Department in advance of the upcoming Jewish religious observances beginning with Rosh Hashanah. He was joined by Chief Chaplain Rabbi Dr. Alvin Kass and detectives from the NYPD Intelligence Division who provided information about the role of its International Liaisons, as well as the nature of terrorist threats on Jewish targets in the West. Approximately 300 community members and religious leaders attended.

Although there is no specific threat to New York City at this time, the Department has briefed its commanders on activities during the High Holy Days, which coincide this year with the United Nations General Assembly. It also will increase deployments of patrol vehicles and officers to synagogues and other iconic and cultural Jewish institutions.

“Eight years ago on September 11th we learned in the most brutal possible way that what happens overseas has direct consequences for New York City,” Commissioner Kelly said in his opening remarks. “In January 2002, we began broadening our perspective. Our jurisdiction didn’t change, but the scope of our awareness did.”

NYPD overseas liaisons work collaboratively with local police and intelligence agencies in Abu Dhabi, Amman, London, Lyon, Madrid, Montreal, Paris, Santo Domingo, Singapore, Tel Aviv, and Toronto. They also respond to terrorist incidents overseas, as they did after recent attacks in Jakarta this summer, and Mumbai in November 2008.

YWN PHOTO LINK: Click HERE for photos taken by Hillel Engel for YWN.

(Eli Rowe – YWN)