Police in Washington Township increase patrols at Jewish, Islamic centers in wake of conflict in Israel
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBS) -- Police departments, schools and houses of worship throughout the Philadelphia region are taking steps to address the local impacts of the ongoing conflict in Israel.
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Washington Township Police Department announced Sunday it's increasing patrols at Jewish and Islamic centers.
Chief Patrick Gurcsik described the announcement as a proactive step, saying there's no specific threat to local houses of worship.
"We do understand that our Jewish community are worried about their safety, and it's the least we can do is to make sure there's a police presence here and making sure the community is safe," Chief Gurcsik said. "With what's going on across the country, antisemitism is on the rise. The police department, we need to be more focused and vigilant in making sure that we're keeping our residents safe and also to stop hate in this country."
Ahsan Abdulghani, a member of Al-Minhal Academy of Washington Township, appreciated the extra security from the police.
The Islamic center added its own security steps by installing security cameras.
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"We want to make sure that their safety is of utmost importance for us because we have small kids coming here, elderly people coming here," Abdulghani said. "Places of worship need to stay safe, and people don't feel safe when they're coming to places of worship."
Abdulghani said the Islamic center wants to stop hate by holding interfaith dialogues with other local religious leaders to promote peace during a scary time.
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"With peace, we can build nations," Abdulghani said. "With peace you can build communities and that's what we need to be at this point in our junction."
Philadelphia Police and Lower Merion Police said there are no current threats to any schools or worship centers in their respective areas.
Lower Merion Schools said counselors will be available to students to provide support to them.