With the growth in terrorist threats all over Europe, countries have been upping security arrangements in particularly vulnerable areas. While Jewish institutions have high security in place already for years, the streets of Jewish neighborhoods like chassidic Stamford Hill, reputedly the largest Orthodox community outside of Israel after New York, have registered a number of recent anti-Semitic attacks.
London police have recently sent in reinforcements to guard the neighborhood and more armed police can be seen scouring the area than before. It is believed that security forces have received intelligence of an imminent attack that brought out the large numbers of police.
The religious community in Stamford Hill has a neighborhood patrol called “Shomrim” which works with the police to protect the citizens, and which has many times thwarted an attack or theft.
Just two weeks ago, a non-Jew attacked Jews in Stamford Hill and was neutralized by Shomrim until police came on the scene and arrested him.