Hate Crimes Up Heading Into Jewish High Holy Days

Reports of hate crimes against Jews and Muslims are on the rise in New York City, according to figures the NYPD released Wednesday at an annual safety briefing for Jewish community leaders before the start of the High Holy Days.

Anti-Semitic crimes reported in the city went from eight a month to 18 a month starting in July, as fighting in the Gaza strip between Israel and Hamas intensified. So far this year there have been 17 reported crimes against Muslims — compared to seven during the same period last year.

Police Commissioner William Bratton said known groups don't appear to be involved.

"It is individual acts rather than any organized effort to go after the Jewish community or the Muslim community," Bratton said. Another NYPD official blamed the crime on an emotional surge driven by ongoing events in the Middle East. A heightened awareness could also lead more victims to be reporting such crimes.

For the first time in years the Jewish holidays will overlap with the United Nations General Assembly meeting — another security concern for the NYPD.

New York continues to be the focus of threats posted online by Muslim extremists, including a recent internet posting calling for lone-wolf attacks on Times Square. The posting was in a purported forum for the Islamic State — or ISIS — the radical group the United States is battling in Iraq and Syria.

John Miller, deputy commissioner for intelligence and counterterrorism, said such threats aren't new and the language in the posting seemed almost cut and pasted from earlier Al-Qaeda threats. But the city is taking it seriously, he added. 

"Today you would likely see a higher police presence in and around Times Square, in and around mass transit, in and around other targets while we assess this information," Miller said.

Bratton was quick to add there is "no direct, actionable intelligence" that indicates an attack is imminent.