The Home Office has granted the Community Security Trust (CST) charity £14m for Jewish community security measures, such as at schools and synagogues.
London-based CST (which also has a Manchester office) monitors anti-semitism and offers protection training. Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “Antisemitic incidents are not just an attack on the Jewish community, but on everyone who believes in a free and open society. This funding will help Jewish people practise their religion and way of life without fear of attack or persecution.
And the Home Office Minister for Countering Extremism Baroness Williams said: “No one should feel afraid for practising their religion. We are committed to ensuring our places of worship remain safe spaces for worship, contemplation and reflection. Only by working together can we ensure that hateful behaviour like antisemitism can be fully eliminated from our society.”
Such grants began in 2015 after terror attacks against Jewish targets across Europe. It has been renewed yearly after security assessments by the Home Office.
CST Chief Executive David Delew said: “The British Jewish community is deeply grateful for the renewal of Home Office funding for security guards at Jewish schools and other communal premises facing the continuing threat of terrorism. CST will continue managing this grant, which alleviates a serious financial security burden from Jewish communities across the country.”
Most of the money, the Home Office says, will go towards protection for Jewish schools. While CST is still at work during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, such as its 24-hour security control room; synagogues remain closed and schools only remain open for the children of ‘essential workers’. Antisemitic incidents continue to be reported to CST‘s 0800 032 3263 helpline.
The Home Office runs the Places of Worship Scheme, which offers funds for physical security (not day to day guarding) for non-Jewish places of worship. The Home Office recently launched a consultation, to run to May 10, ask what more the UK government can do for physical security of places of worship, and worshippers. More in the May 2020 print issue of Professional Security magazine.
