We are writing together to express our deep sadness and concern following the terrible events that have taken place today in Golders Green. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by today’s events. This was a shocking attack on British Jews, and on our wider community here in North-West London. Counter Terrorism Policing has declared this a terrorist incident and are leading the investigation. They will provide further updates on the investigation when they are able to.
As leaders responsible for the safety of residents and visitors to Barnet, we want to be absolutely clear: antisemitism, hatred and violence of any kind have no place in Barnet or anywhere in our city.
The bravery of the officers, Shomrim volunteers and the public, who intervened and confronted an individual armed with a knife prevented others being harmed and saved lives.
We fully recognise the fear, anxiety and concern many people will be feeling right now, particularly within the Jewish community. Please know that both the police and the local authority are working closely, alongside community leaders and partners, to keep you and your loved ones safe.
We also recognise there is a significant crime scene in Golders Green and we apologise for the inconvenience this will cause. Our teams are working as quickly as possible to reduce the size of this but it is important we give them the space to do their critical work.
Today we have mobilised a significant number of officers both locally and from across London to support the operation here in Barnet. This will lead to an increased presence of officers in communities across the borough. We have also activated additional search powers to help keep people safe.
This gives police officers temporary powers to stop and search people in the area without needing specific suspicion, where there is a risk of serious violence. This is a preventative measure designed to deter further criminality. We were already deploying an increased number of Counter Terrorism Response Vehicles to respond to suspicious activity.
From tomorrow morning we will more than double our current capacity. We also have officers from Project Servator who are specially trained to spot and identify individuals who may be planning or preparing to commit a criminal act, including hostile reconnaissance. They are in our communities in both highly visible way in a variety of deployments of uniformed officers as well as less-visible way including plain-clothes officers.
You may also see an increased number of Armed Response Vehicles which have been directed to Barnet, Brent & Harrow. You will see an increased presence of British Transport Police at local train stations. There will be an increased policing presence in and around schools, transport hubs, high footfall areas and faith venues.
You can report suspicious behaviour through the anti-terror hotline on 0800 789 321, or in an emergency always call 999. Our message is clear: this type of attack, which seeks to divide us, must not stop us from living our daily lives but we must all protect each other by remaining vigilant.
Luke Williams
Detective Chief Superintendent
NW BCU Commander
and
Cath Shaw
Chief Executive
London Borough of Barnet