Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Law enforcement officials have stepped up monitoring efforts heading into the weekend, as a number of anti-Semitic groups have called for a “Day of Hate” to take place on Saturday, Feb 25.
Locally in Western New York, the Erie County Sheriff's Office released a statement on Friday, saying their Special Operations Division, Road Patrol, and the Behavioral Threat Assessment Team are prepared to respond rapidly to any threat or incident throughout its primary patrol districts. Additionally, the Sheriff’s Behavioral Threat Assessment Team has been monitoring social media platforms, and currently reports no credible threats at this time.
"I find it repulsive that extremist groups have designated a 'Day of Hate,' and I am prepared to respond to all threats against our public," said Sheriff John Garcia in a statement. "I also want our community to stay vigilant and follow the ‘See Something, Say Something’ protocol so law enforcement can respond quickly to mitigate any threats."
The Sheriff’s Office is coordinating with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and is staying in communication with local groups such as the Jewish Federation to address concerns.
Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia was also asked about the, so called, "Day of Hate" on Friday while discussing the incident that had taken place earlier in the morning at Nichols High School. While Gramaglia did not say whether he was aware of such of day on Saturday, he says that the Buffalo Police Department is ready to respond to any sort of threats that may be made.
"We have an intelligence commander within our department that works [with] our Chief of Detectives, and we have a lieutenant that works with the intelligence community, not just within New York State but within the country and internationally," said Gramaglia. "We get these bulletins, we communicate, so we certainly give them the due attention that they deserve. We monitor what has the potential to occur nationally and, of course, locally. Not everything that we get is designated for a local presence. Sometimes these bulletins go out and they try to engage a lot of different areas to participate. That doesn't always happen, but we are very much in tune both in the local, state and the national level with the intelligence community."
To report any suspicious or hateful activity, people should dial 9-1-1, or you can call the Sheriff’s Office at (716)-858-2903. You can also call the Buffalo Police Department at (716)-851-4444.