New app allows users to report anti-Semitic incidents

NEW YORK — A new app will allow users to report suspicious activity and document anti-Semitic incidents from their smartphones.

The app, called Jewish Security Application, is being launched by the Community Security Service, a New York-based group that works to enhance security at Jewish institutions.

The app will allow users to receive security alerts from Community Security Service, send messages to the group and other relevant authorities and to upload video or photos to assist first responders. It also will feature a panic button to alert local authorities to immediate threats.

The launch of the app comes after six waves of bomb threats that have affected over 100 Jewish community centers, schools and Anti-Defamation League offices around the country. At least three American Jewish cemeteries have also been vandalized in recent months.

“The American Jewish community needs to fundamentally change the way we approach security. Not everyone has it in them to be proactive, but JSA emboldens every member of a community to be more vigilant, and more importantly, to be able to quickly and easily report suspicious activity,” Jason Friedman, CSS executive director, said in a statement.

The app is “making it easier for the community to record and report suspicious activity so we all can be part of keeping our community safe, to see threats before they materialize,” Friedman said.

The free app will be available for both Android and iOS phones. Access will be distributed through synagogues, schools and community centers.