£250m funding to tackle antisemitism welcomed by police

Police chiefs have welcomed £250m in funding to increase officer numbers and specialist teams following a spate of violent and targeted attacks against the UK’s Jewish community.  

The three-year government investment, announced today, will fund hundreds of new officers and enable forces with a significant Jewish population to provide an increased and noticeable presence to communities which have faced rising hostility.   

It will also provide antisemitism training for all officers across England and Wales.  

The investment is the result of a funding bid to the Home Office by the National Police Chiefs Council and the Metropolitan Police, following a period of sustained and elevated community tensions in which Jewish communities across the country have been disproportionately targeted.  

Welcoming the funding, Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, Chair of the NPCC, said:  

“Antisemitic hate crime in the UK remains unacceptably common, and the continued fear and exposure to hostility is having a deeply corrosive effect on Jewish communities - who are being targeted simply because of their religion. 

“This government investment is much needed and warmly welcomed. It will allow policing to do what it is here to do – to keep communities safe from harm, improve feelings of safety, and to bring those insistent on causing harm to justice. These atrocious attacks have no place in our communities. 

“Often such incidents are fueled by international conflict or online narratives that are deliberately hostile and intentionally divisive. But the impact is being felt locally in communities across England and Wales and is causing those affected significant harm. 

“Jewish communities are telling us that they don’t feel safe. They’re telling us that the threat feels real and immediate – it’s on the doorstep of their homes, their places of worship and where their children go to school.  

“That simply cannot be tolerated.” 

In addition to an uplift in officers and rollout of training across the country, the funding will also allow policing to invest in specialised capabilities including Territorial Support and Armed Response Vehicles, and strengthened intelligence and coordination functions for better operational deployment.  

It will also allow for the continuation of Project Servator by Greater Manchester and Metropolitan Police forces for a further three years. The two forces serve the highest proportion of Jewish communities in the UK – 50.3% in the Met, and 10% in Greater Manchester. 

The other forces that will benefit from additional funding are Hertfordshire, Essex, Northumbria, Sussex, Thames Valley, West Midlands and West Yorkshire, while £59m of the funding will go to Counter-Terrorism Police.  

CC Stephens added:

“Levels of hate crime, and antisemitism in particular, have risen nationally, and we recognise that traditional reassurance-led approaches are insufficient in the current environment. This funding will enable us to be robust in our response to this threat, ensuring a focus on protective security, deterrence, and maintaining trust and confidence. 

“As a society, we must do all we can to call out and tackle hate and hostility in all its forms. We will continue to work alongside government and criminal justice partners to ensure all agencies are united in their commitment to tackling antisemitism.  

“We will also continue to engage with our local communities, faith leaders and organisations such as the Community Security Trust to ensure our Jewish communities feel heard, understood, safe and protected. 

Head of Counter Terrorism Policing Laurence Taylor added:

“At a time when the terrorist threat level has increased and we’re operating at an incredibly high tempo, today’s announcement is hugely welcome.  

“Increased funding will help contribute significantly to our work to counter the full spectrum of threats to our national security. 

“It will also help us play our part in tackling antisemitism in our communities, alongside local policing and the wider criminal justice system.”