- Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has requested 300 additional officers for London, citing a growing "pandemic" of antisemitism and concerns over the sustainability of current protection for Jewish communities, especially after a double stabbing in Golders Green.
- The Commissioner has submitted a proposal to the government for funding to establish a dedicated, enhanced neighbourhood policing presence focused on Jewish communities and additional specialist resources, such as more firearms officers.
- The demand for increased resources follows an incident where two Jewish men, Shloime Rand and Moshe Ben Baila, were stabbed in Golders Green, leading to Essa Suleiman being charged with two counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article.
- Sir Mark also noted that the UK's terrorism threat level has been elevated to "severe," meaning an attack is "highly likely," and urged everyone to reflect on and challenge the levels of antisemitic attitudes prevalent in society.
- He defended the officers' use of force during the arrest of the Golders Green suspect, stating they were confronting a dangerous individual, and expressed concern about the scale of upcoming protests in the capital, indicating that potential restrictions are being considered.
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