New York will deploy more state police personnel to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in an effort to combat hate crimes across the state, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday.
The state has directed $2.5 million to the New York State Police, which will allow the agency to deploy 10 additional investigators to the Joint Terrorism Task Force’s offices in New York City, Albany and Rochester, Hochul said at a news conference.
“Our college campuses, students have been targeted. You heard me talk about what I witnessed at Cornell and a message has been sent: that day and the day after. When I said we'll make sure that all perpetrators of these crimes, threats, incitement to violence, calling on others to kill other Jewish students - perpetrators will be stopped and prosecuted and the perpetrator in that case is now behind bars," Hochul said.
The governor made the announcement following an “emergency meeting” with religious leaders and law enforcement officials.
The NYPD last week said New York City saw a spike in hate crimes following the start of the Israel-Hamas war, fueled by a rise in anti-Jewish incidents.
Sixty-nine of the 101 hate crimes the NYPD recorded in October were anti-Jewish incidents, up from 22 out of the 45 hate crimes it recorded in October 2022.
The department also logged eight anti-Muslim incidents — up from zero last October — and seven incidents it classified as “anti-ethnic” incidents — up from three last October — including at least four anti-Palestinian incidents.
Hochul on Monday said the spike coincided with “the day that Hamas attacked Israel” on Oct. 7.
“The rise in hate crimes began instantaneously,” the governor said. “I’ve never seen anything like this in my entire life.”
Seven of the 10 new investigators will be assigned to New York City, New York State Police Lt. Colonel Andrew Crowe said at the news conference.
"So we will be assigning extra investigations to NYC, Buffalo, Rochester, and Albany to work in Partnership with those RA's throughout the state," he said. "NYC will recieve a higher number of those GTTF investigators just because of the number of cases that will happen down here."
According to Hochul's office, the other three state police will be deployed at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Albany and Rochester.
Mayor Eric Adams held his own private round table meeting later Monday with Jewish and Muslim leaders.
Hochul said she couldn’t attend the mayor’s event due to a scheduling conflict, but sources who attended her meeting earlier said representatives from City Hall and the NYPD were not in attendance.