[PHOTO LINK BELOW] Approximately 300 religious leaders, Jewish community representatives and members of the service attended the NYPD pre-Passover briefing held Tuesday at Police Headquarters ahead of the Passover week beginning March 30. The annual event overviewed security preparations which police will take around synagogues and in Jewish neighborhoods for the coming Passover season, as well as provided attendees with an intelligence briefing on terrorist attacks and plots targeting mass transit systems.

“In addition to our cooperation with the FBI, DHS, and other federal, state and city agencies, we rely on an alert public to help keep the city safe,” Commissioner Kelly said. “You can rest assured the Police Department will be doing everything in its power to ensure a safe and blessed Passover.”

Next week the Police Department will deploy extra resources to precincts with large Jewish communities, and add foot posts, visits by uniformed officers to synagogues, outreach by community affairs officers, and increased anti-crime units to deter theft, in addition to vehicular patrols dedicated to houses of worship. Some locations will be visited by Hercules teams of heavily armed officers, whose function is to deter terrorists and any related reconnaissance.

Following remarks by Chief Chaplain Rabbi Dr. Alvin Kass, Director of Intelligence Analysis Mitch Silber provided an overview of terrorist attacks and plots targeting mass transit systems in London and New York.

In September 2009, the NYPD working with the FBI Joint Terrorist Task Force disrupted a plot by Queens resident Najibullah Zazi and others to detonate bombs on New York City subways. Their bomb-making material was similar to that used in Al Qaeda’s attacks on the London subway system in 2005.

The NYPD instituted randomized bag checks at subway stations in the week following the “7/7” attacks of that year. In addition, police officers make daily sweeps in which they stop and check subway cars, while other teams visually inspect the underwater tunnels which link Manhattan to the outer boroughs and New Jersey, Commissioner Kelly said.

YWN PHOTO LINK BY HILLEL ENGEL: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/photos.php?albumid=5451917780422080625

(YWN Desk – NYC / NYPD)