Armed police response teams to keep Jewish people safe in London, Met chief reveals
Sir Mark Rowley wants to put expert policing teams permanently in Jewish areas of London, with close support from armed officers who can respond quickly in the event of an attack, rather than being miles away across the capital.
The Met Police Commissioner has told LBC that “Jews are under threat” in the UK as he revealed the steps he thinks are needed to protect people after the Golders Green terror attack.
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Sir Mark Rowley said that police are “dealing with the symptoms of a disease” of anti-Semitism and he needs extra resources to protect Jewish communities.
"We are seeing horrific and rising instances of antisemitism," Sir Mark said.
He told Nick Ferrari that after the attack in Golders Green, he sent a proposal to Government for dedicated expert policing teams to be stationed permanently in Jewish areas, with close support from armed officers who can respond quickly in the event of an attack, rather than being miles away across London.
He said the issue of anti-Semitism in Britain “needs tackling upstream” and that it was a matter for Government.
Sir Mark also defended the actions of the police officers who tackled the knifeman in Golders Green after criticism from Green Party leader Zack Polanski.
He said: "The officers who took him down were afraid he might have an explosive device on him.
He said that officers must be able to "act in the moment" as they best see fit.
"They are using the force they see necessary in that split second," he said.
"Can you imagine being in that situation without a firearm?"
Zack Polanski retweeted an X post accusing officers of “repeatedly and violently kicking a mentally ill man in the head” when he was already incapacitated from being tasered.
Sir Mark Rowley said he was “disappointed”, adding the post was “inaccurate and misinformed”.
Essa Suleiman has been charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a bladed article in a public place over the incident in Golders Green, the Metropolitan Police said.
Suleiman, of Camberwell, south London, appeared in Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday charged with attempted murder in relation to a separate incident in Great Dover Street in Southwark earlier the same day.
The court heard a man, named in court as Ishmail Hussein, was stabbed but suffered minor injuries around two hours before the Golders Green attack began.
Suleiman was born in Somalia and came to the UK legally as a child in the 1990s, and was reported to Prevent, the Government’s anti-extremism programme, in 2020 but the case was closed the same year.
His appearance in court today came as it was revealed he had been under the care of South London and Maudsley Trust's mental health services at the time.
On Wednesday, police tasered and arrested the suspect after the double stabbing which saw two Jewish men – Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Ben Baila, 76, named locally as Moshe Shine – taken to hospital.
Mr Rand has been discharged from hospital and is now recovering at home after receiving stitches, Rabbi Levi Schapiro from the Jewish Community Council, who has visited both victims, said on social media.
Mr Shine remains in hospital and in a stable condition.
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, which is leading the investigation, said: “Our thoughts remain with the victims involved and specialist officers continue to provide them with support as their recovery continues.
“We are determined to get justice for the victims and now that a person has been charged, I would urge everyone to avoid any further speculation in relation to this case so that justice can run its course.”
The Metropolitan Police said pro-Palestine marches across the country will be assessed after the UK terrorism threat level was raised to “severe” by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre on Thursday, meaning a terror attack is “highly likely”.
The decision is not solely a result of the Golders Green attack, the Home Office said, adding the threat level in the UK has been “rising for some time”.
The Stop the War Coalition is planning a major demonstration in London on May 16 to mark Nakba Day, commemorating the 1948 displacement of Palestinians during the creation of Israel.