West Yorkshire Police is paying increased attention to places of worship, in order to reassure our communities after yesterday’s attack in Rouen, France.
While there is no specific intelligence relating to attacks against the Christian Community, in the UK or in West Yorkshire, the force says it realises that recent events in Europe and elsewhere may have made communities and individuals more concerned.
"We will be contacting religious establishments of all faiths, encouraging them to review their security arrangements. In addition, patrols will be paying increased attention to premises," said Assistant Chief Constable Russ Foster.
"Terrorist activity is designed to create fear and disharmony within communities. The most effective way to keep our communities safe is to report incidents of hate, intolerance and extremism. By working together we can identify individuals of concern and intervene early. This could be by disrupting extremist speakers and denying them a platform, or through working with partners, such as Mental Health professionals, to address issues of vulnerability before they have an opportunity to escalate.
"Attacks such as the one we witnessed yesterday emphasise the need for communities to come together. There is no excuse for hate incidents or crimes and we will continue to take action against anyone guilty of committing hate crimes."
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