The Home Office has announced an extra £5m to increase policing around places of worship in London and Manchester.
It comes after recent antisemitic attacks in both cities and is part of a wider plan to protect all faith sites.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis said the money will be used to “back the police with the resources they need to step up patrols, protect communities, and keep people safe in the places where they live, work and worship."
The money is part of ‘Project Servator’ which deploys specialist officers who are trained to spot anyone preparing to commit a serious crime. Previous deployments have involved both uniformed and plain clothes officers.
Bishop Lusa Nsenga-Ngoy, who is the Church of England's lead bishop for Interfaith Engagement, told Premier Christian News he welcomes the extra investment in security but is disappointed it’s necessary:
“It’s an acknowledgement that there's a real risk that many of our faith communities are exposed, particularly the Jewish community. I grew up in Belgium and in Brussels, and sadly it’s become common to see armed guards outside places of worship. Many of our places of worship want to pride themselves in being hospitable spaces, places where all are invited in and places where hospitality is both given and received. And I think the presence of armed guards does not speak of hospitality in quite that way.”
The bishop acknowledged that it “highlights something of the fractured space that we inhabit. And I lament the fact that we as society have come down to a place where places of worship need to be protected by armed guards.”
Met Police Commander Andy Featherstone said: “Hate crime, of any kind, has no place in our communities and we take all reports incredibly seriously.”