The following joint statements were issued by the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver and the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver. They can be read in full at jewishvancouver.com, where readers can also find out more about the community’s security initiatives. On March 14, JCCGV, Federation and the Centre for Jewish and Israel Affairs announced that the Government of British Columbia will provide $100,000 to fund security infrastructure at Jewish community institutions.
March 12:
At approximately 9 a.m. … Sunday, March 12th, the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver (JCC) received another email bomb threat – the second in less than a week. The JCC followed its security protocols and evacuated the building. The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) was on site and cleared the building, which [was] reopened [the same day]. Other community institutions have been alerted.
Both bomb threats remain under investigation by the VPD, who had already increased their patrols of Jewish community institutions last week. We would like to thank the VPD again for their immediate response, their concern for public safety and their ongoing support.
Anytime a threat is received we take it very seriously, and we encourage you to stay vigilant. If you see something suspicious, say something….
March 7:
At approximately 9 p.m., Tuesday, March 7th, the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver (JCC) received an email bomb threat that turned out to be a hoax. While there was never a real threat to personal safety, we take all matters concerning security very seriously – in fact, the JCC had just conducted a drill last week. When the email was received, JCC followed their established protocols and evacuated the building without incident. It was after regular building hours and so offices and services were closed, however, there was a concert taking place in the theatre at the time.
The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) conducted a thorough search of the building and declared the building safe to be reopened…. The incident remains under investigation by VPD, and we will continue to work closely with them. We would like to extend our appreciation to the VPD for their immediate response and concern for public safety.
False alarms such as this are a good reminder to us all to stay vigilant, and we are taking the following extra precautions: we have asked VPD to step up their patrols of Jewish community institutions; we have notified all Jewish community organizations and advised them to ensure they have updated protocols in place; [and] Jewish Federation’s Community Security Advisory Committee is staying on top of the situation and will update Jewish community organizations as needed.
We remain committed to working together to keep Jewish community institutions safe and welcoming places where you and your family can feel comfortable taking part in community activities.