Latimer directs police to step up patrols near Jewish facilities following Monsey attack

Westchester County officials are on high alert following the stabbing attack in Monsey over the weekend.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer is directing the county police to step up patrols at countywide Jewish facilities in response to this weekend's stabbing attack at a shul in Monsey.

"That hate really has no home here and that people of every religion support those of any religion that are being targeted,” he said.

Latimer is also charging the County Human Rights Commission to find more ways to combat potential discrimination.

"We can't be blind to what we're seeing, which is an increase in incidents against our Jewish brothers and sisters,” said Latimer.

County legislators are publicly denouncing the attack in Rockland County – with some taking it a step further by looking to harden the county's hate crime laws when the new legislative session starts in 2020.

Democratic Legislator-elect Vedat Gashi says concrete actions speak louder than words.

"Even before this attack in Monsey, we had ample reason to be concerned about rising acts of anti-Semitism and hate crimes across the spectrum,” he says.

New York City has already strengthened its definition of hate crimes and incidents.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced he wants to make hate crimes acts of domestic terrorism under state law.

In his 2020 budget, Latimer added a hate crime specialist to the County Human Rights Commission and set aside extra money for the department.