A New NYPD Unit for Combating Domestic Extremism Post Jersey City Shooting
On Tuesday Jersey City witnessed a shooting incident at a local kosher grocery shop that left six people dead. It is including three civilians and a police detective. Just a day later shooting, the New York Police Department has announced the creation of a special unit. That would be specializing in investigating ‘Racial & Ethically Motivated Extremism.’ The R.E.M.E. unit created within NYPD’s intelligence division. It was for honing in on domestic terrorism, far-right extremism, and the organized hate groups.
According to Bill de Blasio, New York City Mayor, “The unit is focused on identifying any trends and any signs of racial and ethnic extremism so it can be acted on before any terror or any bias crime occurs.” This was announced on Wednesday at a press conference where he further added: “It will directly take on the hate groups that are trying to spread in this country and that pose a threat to so many communities.” The newly-opened NYPD unit would be devoted primarily to combating neo-Nazis and far-right extremists as per a report released on Wednesday.
Safe than Sorry
Several investigations are going on relating to terror threats from far-right groups. Moreover, far-right groups and right-wing militias such as Three Percenters, Oathkeepers, Atomwaffen Division. The Proud Boys would be coming under its scrutiny. The new NYPD unit was being conceived. It ultimately forms as a result of multiple mass shootings. It was in Dayton, Ohio, Gilroy, California and El Paso, Texas throughout the last year.
As per the commissioner of the NYPD intelligence division, John Miller, instead of waiting for a dreadful thing to happen in New York City and allow it to leave a dreadful impact basically on human life, forming a new unit is best. It was by witnessing things that are taking place in other places would go a long way in organizing a more focused endeavour in detecting and preventing that now. The decision finalized in amid a string of attacks taking place on the Jews.
Anti-Semitic Attacks
So, as per NYPD data, there has been a significant increase in the number of anti-Semitic incidents. It is taking place in New York this year. So far, there have been as many as 163 incidents reported. It is an increase of almost 50% over last year. We understand that anti-Semitic incidents comprise a wide majority of the hate crimes reported in New York City. There have been assaults on individuals who are Jewish in Brooklyn.
A poster relating to a book regarding Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It was actually vandalized by extremists in Brooklyn. In this context, the shooting incident at a Jersey City kosher supermarket is being suspected. It was as an anti-Semitic attack. Experts believe that it was a hate crime. In which the Jewish community was deliberately attacked. So, as a precautionary measure, the NYPD has announced tighter security. Protection of all Jewish establishments and synagogues in New York.
The new NYPD unit for combating domestic extremism is still recruiting people. There is also, the team rounding out with 25 members including analysts and detectives from various sectors. They would be utilizing an assortment of tools including monitoring online of all extremist networks.