New online form for reporting anti-Semitic crimes

SAN FRANCISCO (Mar. 23, 2023) — The Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund is helping launch a standardized online form to report threats, incidents and suspicious activity related to Jewish organizations, facilities or community members.

The plan is in partnership with more than 30 other Jewish federations and the Secure Community Network (SCN), the official safety and security organization for the Jewish community in North America.

The form, available at jewishfed.org/IncidentReporting, can be used to report in-person assaults or threats; suspicious persons or activity; property damage or vandalism; threatening or suspicious phone calls, text messages or social media; suspicious packages or letters; spam and phishing emails; antisemitic or threatening fliers; or other similar incidents of concern to the Jewish community. Reports may be made anonymously.

“We urge everyone to report suspicious or concerning incidents so the appropriate action can be taken,” said Rafael Brinner, senior director of Community Security for the federation.

Information reported through the form is sent immediately to the federation’s security professionals and the 24-hour duty desk in SCN’s National Jewish Security Operations Command Center. SCN’s team of intelligence analysts are available to support local federation security initiatives using intelligence and information-sharing best practices to determine what people or facilities may be at risk, as well as what next steps to take. Credible threats are referred to local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and Jewish facility leaders as needed.

“This is the first nationally standardized incident reporting effort that ties together local federation security initiatives and SCN as a national partner, ensuring that wherever someone is, there can be timely, consistent and accurate reporting of threats, incidents and suspicious activity,” said Michael Masters, SCN national director and CEO.

“This is critical to keeping the Jewish community safe. In a world where threats travel at the speed of social media, this effort enhances our ability to identify trends and incidents across communities and work with security professionals and law enforcement to address them,” Masters added.

In an emergency, always call 911 first. If online reporting is not practical, follow established protocols to report suspicious activity, including contacting local law enforcement. The SCN Duty Desk can also be contacted at dutydesk@securecommunitynetwork.org or 844-SCN-DESK.