London police leave canceled for 2 weeks as force scrambles to protect Jewish community over Passover – report

All leave has been canceled for two weeks as the Metropolitan Police launches an operation to keep the Jewish community safe over the upcoming Passover holiday, The Sunday Times reports.

According to the outlet, shifts have been extended from eight hours to 12, and staff who normally hold roles such as the issuing of traffic fines, have also been drafted onto patrols.

Over 260 additional officers, many armed with Tasers, will carry out separate patrols across areas with large Jewish communities, the report says.

In addition, drones will be deployed to be “first responders” in the case of any attacks, to provide officers with information on potentially escaping perpetrators, the report says.

“These are deployments not just to build reassurance, but to act as a deterrent to prevent further attacks,” James Conway, a commander for frontline policing who is overseeing the operation, tells the newspaper.

Conway notes that the drones will be used carefully to ensure that they do not “cause any undue anxiety” to any members of the community who may fear that the UAVs are the kamikaze drones used by Iran.

The operation comes amid soaring antisemitism in the UK, and in the wake of a deadly attack at a synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur last year, and an arson attack on ambulances parked at a London synagogue last week.