Calls for police to guard Jewish schools and preschools 24/7

The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies wants extra security as schools go back for the year, “until the current threat to the community has subsided”.

Jewish schools and preschools should be placed under 24/7 police guard until anti-Semitic threats ease, the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies says.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal the group’s president, David Ossip, has written to NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb with an “urgent” request to have police stationed outside Jewish education centres, after a school in the eastern suburbs was spray painted with anti-Semitic graffiti.

The letter was sent on Thursday afternoon, and shared with members of the Jewish community.

Mr Ossip wrote to “formally request that NSW Police take immediate steps” to place police outside schools and preschools around the clock, “until the current threat to the community has subsided”.

He said the Jewish Board of Deputies “appreciates” the way police have been engaging with the community, but more assistance was needed.

A council worker removes the graffiti on the wall of the carpark at the Mount Sinai College in Maroubra. Picture: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

“We do not make this request lightly but believe that these unprecedented times require the presence of visible police resources to restore deterrence and ensure the safety and security of all who attend Jewish schools and preschools,” he wrote.

A NSW Police spokeswoman said the force had “facilitated a meeting” on Friday “to discuss these concerns”.

A property next to Mount Sinai College on Runic lane Maroubra was spray-painted with anti-Semitic graffiti overnight. Picture: Thomas Lisson

“We continue to work closely with the Jewish community and will do everything we can to ensure the community feels safe and prevent further incidents from occurring,” the spokeswoman said.

“Every night, officers tasked to Strike Force Pearl and Operation Shelter conduct regular patrols of religious and other significant establishments, like schools, to ensure the safety of the wider community.

“The commissioner looks forward to meeting with the Jewish Board of Deputies to discuss the allocation of police resources and their concerns.”

Security has recently been beefed up around Jewish sites across Sydney, including through the Board of Deputies’ security wing.

NSW Premier Chris Minns earlier this month gave the organisation a $340,000 grant from the Premier’s Discretionary Fund to enhance “temporary security measures” for the Jewish community.

Originally published as Calls for police to guard Jewish schools and preschools 24/7