New York State Police Heightens Presence Around Possible Hate Crime Targets

On Sunday, November 20th, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the New York State Police would be increasing their patrols and surveillance around buildings and venues that might be targets of hate crimes. This is after the mass shooting that claimed five lives in a Colorado LGBTQ+ nightclub and a foiled attack on a New York City synagogue.  

“I have directed the New York State Police to ramp up monitoring and increase support for communities that are potential targets of hate crimes,” Hochul said in a statement. 

“Here in New York, we will not tolerate violence or bigotry toward any community,” the governor said. “We stand united against hate — today and every day.”   

According to the NY Post, authorities recently foiled an attempt to attack a synagogue in NYC. The failed attempt was prevented by a joint operation between the NYPD and the FBI. Two men are in custody for being in possession of weapons and threatening to attack the synagogue. The two men, Christopher Brown and Matthew Mahrer were arrested on Friday, November 18 at Penn Station. Authorities claim they found the men in possession of a firearm, bullets, and a military-style knife. Christopher Brown was allegedly found in possession of a swastika. He had made multiple threats on Twitter, with one saying, “Gonna ask a Priest if I should become a husband or shoot up a synagogue and die.” According to the Gothamist, Brown told investigators he owned Nazi memorabilia, thought of committing suicide, and ran a White Supremacist Twitter account.    

The mass shooting that took place in an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado is cause for concern as well. While the tragic shooting did not take place in the state of New York, it is proof that LGBTQ+ nightclubs can be targeted, resulting in injury and loss of life. According to multiple reports, an LGBTQ+ bar in Hell’s Kitchen has been targeted by an assailant who threw a brick through its windows on three different occasions in one week.