The Met Police is putting 100 extra officers in northwest London (Image: Getty)
The Met Police has announced a Community Protection Team of 100 extra officers, as further arrests were made for antisemitic hate crimes. This follows the attacks in Golders Green on April 29, where two Jewish men were stabbed, and a suspected arson attack at a synagogue today (May 5). The new group combines neighbourhood policing, specialist protection, and counter terrorism teams. It is being done to provide a “more visible, intelligence‑led and coordinated presence focused on protecting Jewish communities” across London. The Met said that this approach reflects “what we know works best”: officers who are locally based, understand their communities, and have strong relationships with residents, schools, faith leaders and volunteers.
It marks the beginning of “a new, more sustainable and consistent model of protection” built around “local knowledge, visibility and partnership, rather than relying solely on repeated short‑term surges”. This new team will be primarily focused on protecting the Jewish community, which faces some of the highest levels of hate crime alongside significant terrorist and hostile state threats. However, it is also intended to provide a blueprint for how policing responds when tensions rise, so that other communities feel equally supported and protected when they face spikes in hate crime or targeted hostility.
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This follows the Golders Green attacks (Image: Getty)
A number of arrests were made over the weekend in connection with racially and religiously aggravated offences. These form part of an “intensive and sustained response”.
In the past four weeks, the Met has arrested around 50 people for antisemitic hate crimes, with eight individuals charged. This is in addition to 28 arrests linked to arsons and other serious offences investigated alongside Counter Terrorism Policing. In total, more than 80 arrests have now been made.
Last week, the Government announced £25 million in one‑off funding to support protective policing, including ringfencing £18 million specifically for the Met.
It will retrospectively cover the significant costs incurred which were deemed necessary in North West London at a time of “unprecedented threats to the community”.
Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: “The creation of a new Community Protection Team of around 100 officers is an important step in strengthening our response to the sustained threats Jewish communities are facing.
“It brings together experienced local officers who know their communities, supported by specialist capabilities, to provide more visible, consistent and intelligence‑led protection.
“I welcome the Government’s £18 million funding, which has already paid for thousands of additional officer shifts at a time of exceptional pressure. But this funding is short term and requires investment to sustain our policing response to this growing threat.
“We are working with Government and the Mayor to ensure the approach we are building can be sustained over time, not just for Jewish communities, but as a model that can support other communities across London when facing elevated risk.
“A settled, long‑term model built around local teams will be far more effective than repeated emergency responses, reducing risk and delivering lasting reassurance.”
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I welcome this support for a new dedicated Community Protection Team. The appalling attack in Golders Green was just the latest in a series of antisemitic acts of violence that have targeted Jewish people, synagogues, homes and charities, creating ripples of fear in our Jewish communities.
“The new team will combine Met neighbourhood policing officers – who know their communities best – with dedicated specialist Met protection teams working around the clock to reassure and protect London’s Jewish communities.
“The Met Commissioner and I have set out a detailed proposal to the Government for a new, long-term approach. Working with the police and others, I am determined to bear down on antisemitism and ensure Jewish Londoners feel safe and are safe in our city.
“Alongside the police action we need a relentless approach to tackling all hate crime in London and we all have a role to play in calling out hate in all its forms to build a safer London for everyone.”
