$10K Reward Offered For Info In Bias Incidents, Such As Katz JCC Bomb Threat

The Attorney General’s Office is offering a $10,000 reward for tips from the public leading to a bias crime conviction, Gov. Chris Christie and Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino announced on Friday.

The reward money is being made available through criminal forfeiture assets, and more information is available at www.nj.gov/oag/bias.

Additionally, the New Jersey State Police and the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (OHSP) have increased patrol efforts at houses of worship, faith-based institutions, community centers and cemeteries throughout the state,

The announcement came four days after an unfounded bomb threat at the Betty and Milton Katz Jewish Community Center (Katz JCC).

“We live in a world where hostilities have become part of our everyday lives and are directed at what makes us as New Jerseyans and Americans so unique – our diversity,” Christie said at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades in Tenafly, where he was joined by national and local officials, advocates and community leaders. “We are coming together today to stand as one New Jersey – committed to furthering understanding and tolerance throughout our diverse communities. We will not stand for anything less. We are committed to ensuring that our citizens feel safe and secure because there is no place in our society for intolerance, hatred or prejudice. More importantly, we must never relent on the basic rights and principles we embrace as a state and a nation.”

As of last week, there had been nearly 70 threats issued against Jewish Community Centers in 27 states and one Canadian province since the beginning of the year, according to the Huffington Post. Hard numbers weren't available for threats made against these centers before Jan. 1 of this year, but centers told the website this string of threats is "unprecedented."

In New Jersey, an unfounded bomb threat lead to the evacuation of a Jewish Community Center in Scotch Plains in January. The day before, headstones were vandalized at a Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia.
Monday’s threat coincided with evacuations at the Siegel JCC in Wilmington, Delaware, and Jewish Community Centers in York and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Over the past several weeks, State Police have been conducting target-hardening measures at religious institutions and OHSP has been providing increased security training at houses of worship, the Governor’s Office said in a release issued Friday afternoon.

The Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) has conducted training on reporting and responding to bias crimes for over 100 law enforcement officers and representatives from State Police, federal agencies and all 21 County Prosecutors. The County Prosecutors, in turn, are responsible for providing the same training to municipal police departments, and have designated bias crimes liaisons.

“Given the recent threats and other hateful messages directed against our Jewish, Muslim and African American friends, among others, our office is taking action on multiple fronts to protect the public and alleviate fears,” Porrino said. “As Attorney General, I can assure you that my office shares the community’s concern over the despicable and cowardly acts that have been reported. We are committed to identifying and prosecuting anyone engaged in such acts of hate, and we urge the public at large to take advantage of our new reward program by being vigilant in providing tips and leads through our hotline and our web portal.”

Following the threat, Rep. Donald Norcross (D-1) wrote the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), which administers the area’s Urban Area Security Initiative funding, to request they share the resources with South Jersey to protect all of the Philadelphia area’s Jewish communities.

Currently, the funding is being used for Philadelphia proper, as well as Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties, a spokesperson for Norcross’s office said earlier this week. Norcross is asking PEMA to expand the area to Camden, Burlington and Gloucester counties, and believes the PEMA director can expand the area by working with representatives in Philadelphia.

PEMA hasn’t responded to a request for comment on this issue from Patch.

Norcross was already working closely with South Jersey synagogues and the New Jersey Jewish Federation to secure greater security funding, before these most recent attacks. Last week, he sent a letter to the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security asking them to investigate the rise in anti-Semitism and threats against JCC’s across the country.

Statewide, the Attorney General’s Comprehensive plan to combat bias crimes also includes education and outreach to the general public as well as community and faith-based leaders throughout the state.

Among other efforts, representatives from the Division on Civil Rights recently spent four days on the campus of Rutgers University talking with students about state discrimination laws and how to report bias incidents.

Porrino said an educational flier containing frequently asked questions about bias activity and how to report it has been distributed as part of focused community outreach, and is also available to the public at www.nj.gov/oag/bias.

"Our day-to-day vigilance of critical infrastructure around the state is constantly supported by current threats and trends," New Jersey State Police Superintendent Colonel Rick Fuentes said.

OHSP is providing threat intelligence briefings, security trainings, and free site assessments to religious facilities in New Jersey to help identify vulnerabilities, provide recommendations on protective measures, and mitigate risk.

OHSP also facilitates the Non-Profit Security Grant Program (NSGP), which provides funding support for target hardening and other physical security enhancements to non-profit organizations that are at high risk of a terrorist attack.

Last year, New Jersey received over $4.2 million in federal grant funding for 58 nonprofit organizations and religious institutions. OHSP is hosting a grant writing workshop on March 16 for those eligible to apply under the FY17 NSGP. To register, visit www.njohsp.gov.

“We take these threats very seriously, and our first priority is to ensure we are engaging the community through a variety of mechanisms such as the statewide Interfaith Advisory Council, which brings together faith-based leaders and government representatives at the federal, state, and local levels,” OHSP Director Chris Rodriguez said. “During these trying times, we remain united in a common purpose to ensure every citizen can gather and worship in a safe and secure way.”

To report a bias incident, the public should contact local police or their county prosecutor. Bias incidents should also be reported to the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice at 800-277-BIAS or www.nj.gov/oag/bias.

The investigation into the threat at the Katz JCC remains ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Investigative Unit at 856-488-7833. Tips can also be emailed to tips@cherryhillpolice.com or to the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office at ccpotips@ccprosecutor.org.

The attached image was provided by Gov. Chris Christie's office