Anti Semitic chants and speeches at current marches reported by the police

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.24.035246

I note you seek access to the following information:

Are the police reporting anti-Semitic chants and speeches at the current marches, and at incidents at Jewish schools in Hackney - are they on duty protecting the children?

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

We record all instances of hate crime including anti-Semitic chants at protests in accordance with Home Office reporting standards. We continue to take positive action to prevent and detect offences that occur within protests and recognise the serous community concern caused by those offences.

Central East Borough Command Unit (Hackney and Tower Hamlets) have a commitment to conduct patrols on all 21 wards in Hackney using our community policing teams. Tasking resource and asset is constantly reviewed according to crime trends and reports of anti-social behaviour so we respond to demand, mitigating risk and safeguarding residents, commuters and visitors to Hackney.

In the ethos of building the strongest ever neighbourhoods police as outlined by Sir Mark Rowley in the MPS’ new met for London plan, we are in the process of restructuring our schools policing model working with local authority and school head teachers to ensure the partnership is effective.

We have dedicated schools officers who conduct high visibility patrols outside schools and routes with high pupil traffic at peak times. As one can appreciate we do not have the staff to have a dedicated officer outside every school in Hackney every day, hence we respond to intelligence to ensure these patrols are effective and demand led.

Since the Middle East conflict we have had a dedicated policing plan put in place for patrols in Stamford Hill to safeguard and reassure our Jewish residents. These patrols have incorporated Jewish Schools. We have held weekly meetings with key community leaders alongside colleagues from British Transport Police and our Roads and Transport Policing command, to update on hate crime and inform our community impact assessment.

We continue to work with partners such as Hackney Council and Shomrim conducting joint patrols with enforcement officers and volunteers where possible; in order to maintain local trust and confidence within all our communities.