(WWJ) - Police in multiple cities across Metro Detroit are increasing their presence at schools, religious centers, businesses and more in an effort to quell any concerns about the mounting violence in the Middle East.
Law enforcement in Birmingham announced ramped up patrols within their community on Friday, Oct. 13, while police in Farmington Hills, Bloomfield Township and Oak Park all took similar action earlier in the week.
The departments say the community should not see the increased presence of marked police cars and uniformed officers as a reason for concern.
The measures come as the fighting between Israel and Hamas is intensifying after the militant group, identified by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization, launched an unprecedented incursion over the weekend, killing over 1,000 people.
In retaliation, Israel launched attacks on Gaza, also killing over 1,000 Palestinians.
MORE ON THE WAR IN ISRAEL: The Jewish and Muslim communities are intertwined in Metro Detroit. How does the area move forward following violence in the Middle East?
The violence is causing shockwaves halfway around the world among Metro Detroiters, which is home to large Palestinian and Jewish communities.
According to the 2018 Detroit Jewish Population Study, the Motor City has the 26th largest Jewish community in the U.S., with Jewish families making up 65% of all households in 48070 (Huntington Woods); 34% in 48322 (West Bloomfield); 30% in 48323 (West Bloomfield); 25% in 48301 (Bloomfield Hills); 22% in 48237 (Oak Park); 19% in 48302 (Bloomfield Hills); 17% in 48331 (Farmington); and 12% in 48075 (Southfield).
Farmington Hills Police Chief Jeff King stressed to WWJ's Charlie Langton that the patrols within their city is a sign of the department's commitment to the safety and security of their residents.
"I want the community to know that their police department is there to serve and protect them and we are there as a preventative measure and a supportive measure, not to indicate that something is wrong just by our presence," King said.
Farmington Hills is home to 86,000 residents and with over 60 houses of worship, including mosques and synagogues, Langton reported. It is also home of the Holocaust Memorial Center, the only Holocaust memorial in the State of Michigan.
King said the department "has been fielding numerous calls from community members expressing concern for their personal safety and the safety of others as the conflict in the Middle East continues to grow."
King said the department has " been actively working with our State and Federal Intelligence partners and are aware of no direct threats to any particular place, event or group."
He said in addition to normal crime prevention efforts, the police department has "doubled its efforts to provide a visible police presence at houses of worship and schools within our community."
According to the 2021 American Community Survey, Metro Detroit is also the home of the largest Arabic-speaking population in the U.S. and is widely acknowledged as the "largest, oldest and most diverse" Arab American community in the United States.
Arab America states: "There are 22 Arab countries, including Palestine, which are members of the Arab League and share a common history, language and culture-the immigrants who migrated to America and the Greater Detroit area are from a select group of Arab countries," that include Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Yemen -- and Palestine.
Dearborn, which is 30% Arab as reported by the Detroit Free Press in 2000, also stepped up security in their community this week.
"As a city and a department, the safety and wellbeing of Dearborn residents, employees, and visitors is our top priority," Police Chief Issa Shahin said in a statement released Thursday. "For this reason, as an added security measure, we increased our police presence at all places of worship and schools in Dearborn earlier this week."
Shahin's spoke out after a suspect was arrested in Farmington Hills after a "credible threat" of violence against Palestinian-American residents in Dearborn was uncovered by law enforcement.
After receiving a copy of the post from an anonymous tip, the department immediately launched an investigation. On Thursday, Oct. 12, a suspect was taken into custody on the probable cause of using a computer or electronic device to commit a crime.
Authorities have not released the name or age of the suspect, who remained in custody late Thursday afternoon as the investigation continues.
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud said at this time authorities are not aware of any additional credible threats in Dearborn.
"However, we remain in close, constant contact with our law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local level, and continue to monitor social media," he said.
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