NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Gov. Kathy Hochul said Monday she was deploying extra state police investigators to the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force—with more than half going to New York City—amid a surge in hate crimes and harassment in the wake of Hamas' deadly terror attack in Israel.
The move by the governor, which includes an additional $2.5 million for the New York State Police, is in response to an increase in reported antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents as the monthlong Israel-Hamas war rages on.
The governor said her administration has been "laser focused" on protecting at-risk communities and that this is another action in that effort.
"Surging resources to the Joint Terrorism Task Force is a critical step to ensure New Yorkers are protected from domestic and international threats," Hochul said in a statement.
The additional funds will allow state police to deploy 10 additional investigators in New York City, Albany, Buffalo, and Rochester to ensure all hate crime cases are looked into. New York City will get seven of the investigators, state police said.
Hochul said "the rise in hate crimes began instantaneously" after Hamas' attack on Israel and that the increase in hate poses a "clear and present danger" for the state, especially as the busy holiday travel season approaches.
The governor convened an emergency meeting Monday with religious leaders and law enforcement to discuss strategies for combatting hate crimes. Federal law enforcement, including the ATF, took part.
Counter-demonstrators hold an Israeli flag across the street from a pro-Palestinian rally in Midtown Manhattan on Saturday.Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
Weeks after Hochul expanded the monitoring of social media by state police, she said Monday that the state remains "very focused on the data we're collecting from surveillance efforts."
"We have launched an effort to be able to counter some of the negativity and reach out to people when we see hate speech on online platforms," the governor said.
Hate crimes investigated by police in New York City increased 124% in October, led by a 214% spike in anti-Jewish incidents, or 69 reported incidents this October compared to 22 reported in October 2022, according to the NYPD.
Reported Anti-Muslim incidents in the city increased to 8 in October, compared to 0 incidents in October 2022, the NYPD said.
A number of hate crimes were reported last week.
On the Upper West Side, two women attacked and ripped a Star of David necklace off a Jewish woman who caught them tearing down posters of hostages held by Hamas, police said.
In Brooklyn, a father wearing a Palestinian scarf was attacked by a woman who called him and his young son "terrorists" at a Fort Greene playground, according to cops.
Among the most high-profile incidents in New York in recent weeks was at Cornell University in Ithaca, where a 21-year-old student is accused of posting online threats to shoot and stab Jewish people. Hochul visited Cornell's Center for Jewish Living before the suspect's arrest, saying, "No one should be afraid to walk from their dorm or their dining hall to a classroom."
Hochul recently unveiled a New York hotline—844-NO-2-HATE—and online form for people to report hate crimes.
Over the summer, the governor announced more than $50 million in grant funding to improve security at organizations at risk of hate crimes.
