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they started to record them in 1979. It’s important to note that some incidents don’t get reported, especially in the case of bias incidents against school-aged children. Of the total, 1,776 were harassment, 853 were vandalism, and 88 were assault. Regarding the assaults, there were 131 victims, and none of the attacks were fatal. Additionally, 77 of the attacks were without the use of a deadly weapon. “Incidents in K-12 schools, colleges and universities increased in 2021 but were flat compared to the five-year average,” ADL reported. “In 2021, ADL logged 331 incidents at non-Jewish K-12 schools (up 106% from 161 in 2020), and 155 incidents at colleges and universities (up 21% from 128 in 2020). “In 2021, there were 525 logged incidents at Jewish institutions such as synagogues, Jewish community centers, and Jewish schools, an increase of 61% from 327 in 2020. 413 were incidents of harassment, 101 were incidents of vandalism and 11 were incidents of assault,” they said. The top three states for incidents were New York (416), New Jersey (370), and California (367). They were able to attribute 484 of the incidents to hate groups. The Ocean and Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Offices also let residents know they were taking the threat seriously. “We at MCPO have contacted our local police chiefs to increase patrols at our synagogues, and are asking the general public, including our Jewish communities across Monmouth County: if you see something, say something by contacting local authorities,” the Monmouth Prosecutor’s Office said. Ultimately, the threat was found but the police presence remained. “The FBI has indicated that the source of the threat to synagogues in New Jersey has been identified and mitigated,” Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said in a later statement. “In an abundance of caution, we will maintain an increased law enforcement presence around temples and synagogues. We will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners at the federal, State and local level to protect our houses of worship in Ocean County. We will take all necessary security precautions to ensure the safety of our residents in Ocean County. Even though the threat has been mitigated, please stay vigilant and remember, if you see something, say something!” Lakewood Police also issued a statement noting that it was working with the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department to increase patrols of marked and unmarked vehicles. “In addition, we have also deployed specially trained rapid response officers. Although there isn’t any specific information pertaining to Lakewood, we are in communication with our local, county and federal counterparts in order to ensure the greatest protection to those we serve.” Suspicious activity should be reported to your local police department, or you can call 911 or the Counterterrorism Watch Desk at 1-866-4-SAFE-NJ (1866-472-3365) or email tips@njohsp. gov.

Funding For Security

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