Met Police deploys 100-officer team for London's Jewish communities as April antisemitic offences hit 140

The Metropolitan Police is deploying a new 100-officer Community Protection Team dedicated to London's Jewish communities, the force announced, drawing officers from neighbourhood policing, specialist protection and counter-terrorism. The move follows a series of arson attacks on Jewish sites in London and a recent double stabbing in Golders Green that is being treated as an act of terrorism. Other recent incidents include attacks on synagogues, a Jewish ambulance charity and a memorial wall in Golders Green.

The Met recorded 140 antisemitic hate crimes across London in April, up from 98 in March and 67 in February, and the highest monthly total since the force changed its hate-crime recording method in March 2024. Barnet — the borough that includes Golders Green, Hendon and Finchley, all home to large Jewish populations — accounted for 51 of those April offences, more than a third of the total. About 50 people have been arrested over the recent series of antisemitic hate crimes, with eight charged.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, who had previously called for 300 extra officers across London amid what he described as a growing "pandemic" of antisemitism, said the new unit's officers would be "locally based, understand their communities, and have strong relationships with residents, schools, faith leaders and volunteers." "The creation of a new Community Protection Team of around 100 officers is an important step in strengthening our response to the sustained threats Jewish communities are facing," Rowley said. "We are working with government and the mayor to ensure the approach we are building can be sustained over time, not just for Jewish communities, but as a model that can support other communities across London when facing elevated risk." He added that longer-term investment would be needed to maintain the response.

A spokesperson for the Community Security Trust, the charity that protects British Jews from antisemitism, said the measure was "an important step at a time of heightened anti-Jewish hatred and reflects the seriousness of the threats currently facing the community," and that the recent rise in arrests was "a welcome sign of effective action being taken by the police, which we hope will send a strong message both to the Jewish community and to would-be offenders." The announcement follows a £25 million government funding package for protective policing, of which £18 million has been allocated to the Met; the force said this money had already paid for around 1,000 additional officer shifts per week, largely through overtime and redeployment. The Met said the unit would initially focus on antisemitic threats but could serve as a model for other communities facing spikes in hate crime, and added that tackling anti-Muslim abuse, racism and homophobia remained a core priority.

The Met released earlier figures showing that, after the Hamas-Israel conflict began in October 2023, recorded antisemitic offences jumped from 61 in September that year to 518 the following month.