In The Wall Street Journal, Mitchell Silber, director of intelligence analysis for the NYPD, writes that as the conflict with Iran over its nuclear program heats up, New York City—with its large Jewish population—becomes an increasingly attractive target.

For years, intelligence sources have concluded that a confrontation over Iran’s nuclear program could have spillback here in New York City. The 1994 bombing of the AMIA building in Buenos Aires shows that Iranian intelligence operatives and Hezbollah terrorists have no compunctions about killing Jews. Last summer’s interrupted plot to kill the Saudi Ambassador in Washington, DC indicates that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards are willing to commission terrorist acts on U.S. soil. Iran’s leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threatened the state of Israel during a weekly sermon in Tehran on Friday. “We have intervened in anti-Israel matters, and it brought victory in the 33-day war by Hezbollah against Israel in 2006, and in the 22-day war…From now on, in any place, if any nation or any group confronts the Zionist regime, we will endorse and we will help…[Israel is a] cancerous tumor that should be cut and will be cut.”

While there is no specific threat against the New York Jewish community, the NYPD increased its coverage of Israeli and high-profile Jewish targets on Friday, deploying its Atlas and Sampson units. Consider the following recommendations:

1. The JCRC recommends that Jewish groups should review their security operations, paying particular attention to access control and detecting hostile surveillance. For more tips, see the JCRC Security Resources page at: www.jcrcny.org/securityresources. Remember, if you see something, say something. Call 1-877-NYCSAFE.
2. While the details are currently being negotiated, it is likely that there will be a Nonprofit Security Grant Program for the coming year. The DHS guidance should be released on or about February 23rd. Applicants may not have much time to apply. Therefore review the grant requirements from last year at www.jcrcny.org/securitygrants. The most important recommendation is to update your vulnerability assessment. Learn about vulnerability assessments here. 

Will there be a Nonprofit Security Grant Program in 2012?
On December 23rd, the President signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Bill for FY2012, including funding for Homeland Security. The bill contained contained changes to the 12 current Homeland Security State and Local Grant Programs.

For the first time, Congress included the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), as a stand alone program, one of the 12 that is no longer attached to the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI). UASI is a program with geographic limitations that may no longer apply to NSGP in FY2012.

1. The changes give the Secretary of Homeland Security new discretionary authority to determine both the allocations to be dispersed among the 12 grant programs (virtually all of the state and local funding distributed by DHS), and, for NSGP, the geographic areas for inclusion (Last year NSGP applicants were required to be located in a Tier 1 UASI. Congress gave the Secretary discretion to define the areas or to require no area at all). 
2. Total funding for the 12 grant programs was provided this year as a single allocation, at a significantly reduced amount (a cut near $860 million or 43%). The Secretary will determine how the allocation will be split among the grant programs.

By law, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which administers the grant programs, must publish its grant guidance for these programs on or about February 23rd. The reforms of the DHS grant programs raise questions about the future direction  of the NSGP. In advance of this guidance, the Washington Office of JFNA will be meeting with senior officials at the Department of Homeland Security to advocate for a strong NSGP program. All of us owe the Washington Office of JFNA our deepest gratitude.

JCRC-NY guidance
Once the guidelines are published at the end of February, JCRC-NY will update our guidance materials based on the new grant materials and schedule tranings. For further information contact David Pollock at pollockd@jcrcny.org. You may obtain guidance from the JCRC at www.jcrcny.org/securitygrants and the Jewish Federations of North America at: www.jewishfederations.org/homelandsecurity.

UPDATE: December 29. Danny Warner was arrested by local police in Lake Havasu, Arizona without incident. He is being charged with being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition, and there are additional charges expected.

A known White supremacist might pose a security threat to Jews or Jewish institutions, probably in the South. He is considered armed and dangerous.

While the available information indicates that he intends to head to the South, it is worthwhile to review your security procedures, especially those dealing with access control and hostile surveillance. See the JCRC resources available at www.jcrcny.org/securityresources.

The ADL bulletin below has some excellent suggestions in their alert.

Anti-Defamation League
SECURITY ALERT

December 28, 2011

We wanted to alert you to a potential security threat involving Danny Lee Warner, Jr., a white supremacist.  In a letter allegedly sent by Danny to his wife last week, he told her, “I’m headed down South to kill some niggers and Jews until the government gets me- hopefully I’ll get enough to make it all worth it before I go.”  Warner has a long history of serious violence and spent most of the last decade in prison in Utah.  While in prison, he was active in the Silent Aryan Warriors (SAW), a white supremacist prison gang.

He was last known to be in Chippewa Falls, WI, where he located after being released from prison.  The letter to his wife was postmarked on 12/19/11 from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  His current whereabouts are unknown. Possible states of destination include: IA, NJ, NY, MT & UT.

He is believed to potentially be armed and driving a red 2002 GMC Envoy, WI license plate #364TFL.  He was born 11/29/1974.  His description is as follows: Male, Caucasian, 6’2’’, 190 lbs, brown hair, hazel eyes, tattoos. Aliases may include: Tyrsegil Bloodketil, Danny Jay Potter, Danny Peterson, or Jody White.  He may use the prison gang moniker of Tombstone or Swift.

He is currently wanted in Wisconsin on probation violation.

Each communal institution should review its security plans and procedures in light of this situation.   Each institution should consider having a plan in place for responding if this person shows up at the institution.   Moreover, each institution should consider reaching out to their local law enforcement contacts to discuss this matter.

If he visits your institution, contact law enforcement immediately, and then ADL.

As always, we recommend using this as an opportunity to review your security policies and procedures and encourage you to do the following:

• Keep your eyes and ears open for anything unusual or suspicious and call law enforcement immediately if you come across something. Unusual behavior should be promptly reported to the police or security personnel.
• Consider not letting anybody you don’t know into your facility, and not allowing any new visitor to your facility roam around unescorted.
• Ensure that your staff members, including newly hired personnel, know what to do in the event of an emergency, and that they know your policy on when to allow persons to enter the facility.
• Make sure to use the security devices you have in place and that access controls are being used properly.  For example, ensure that communications equipment (for instance, walkie-talkies) and video cameras are working and properly used.
• Review and practice security procedures.  In particular, review with all personnel their role in security.  For instance, if vigilance has slipped in mail and package delivery safety procedures, now is the time to revisit this area.
• Renew/establish relationships with local law enforcement and discuss security.  It has been our experience that local jurisdictions are working very hard to maintain close relationships with their Jewish institutions.  If you have not established personal relationships with key police personnel, set up a meeting to do so.
• Trust your instincts. If something strikes you as being out of place or problematic, call the police immediately.

Security is a long-term process that cannot be efficiently or effectively deployed only when there is an alert.   It is important to review security procedures on a regular basis and to be thinking of ways to improve security.

ADL’s security manual – Protecting Your Jewish Institution– and your local ADL regional office are important resources in your security planning.  ADL’s security website is www.adl.org/security.