New York Governor Orders Investigation Into Bomb Threats Against Jewish Centers

NEW YORK (Sputnik) — Cuomo issued a directive to state police on Monday to investigate recent incidents of bomb threats that targeted multiple Jewish Community Centers (JCC).

On Monday, the Tarrytown police and Westchester County bomb squad in New York responded to a reported bomb threat at a local Jewish community center.

"Today we witnessed another round of bomb threats, this time directed at Jewish Community Centers in Tarrytown, Staten Island, New Rochelle, and Plainview, which appear to be part of a recent wave of threats against JCCs in New York and across the country," Governor Cuomo said. "In response to these anti-Semitic attacks, I am ordering the State Police to work with our federal and local law enforcement partners to investigate these threats and apprehend those responsible."

Last week, Cuomo announced $25 million investment to boost security in schools that may be at risk of hate crime. A $5,000 cash reward for information on the suspects and a designated hotline to report incidents of bias and discrimination have been announced as part of comprehensive strategy to tackle the spike in acts of racial violence.

Bomb threats against Jewish community centers were also reported Monday in the states of Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

US President Donald Trump denounced a spike in racially-motivated violence in an interview last Tuesday, saying that Anti-Semitism is horrible and must stop.