(WXYZ) — Police departments across metro Detroit are increasing patrols around places of worship and schools following an attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield.
Agencies from Detroit and Dearborn Heights to Ann Arbor and Pittsfield have taken to social media to let the public know they have stepped up patrols. Dearborn Heights Mayor Mo Baydoun said the increased presence in the community is not meant to alarm residents but to help the community feel at ease.
The heightened security comes after violence at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Thursday. Oak Park Public Safety Director Steve Cooper said he and about a dozen other officers were called to the scene to help.
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"You never want to get a call over the radio of an incident such as that. It was a little bit chaotic but very unnerving. I know my team of officers were one of the initial teams that were able to actually make entry into the building and assist with some of the searching of the interior of the building and helping to assist some of the children out of the classrooms and helping them get to a safe location," Cooper said.
No one inside the temple or its school was seriously injured. A few first responders suffered minor injuries.
Although no threats have been made in Oak Park, Cooper said the community has a large Jewish population that deserves to feel safe.
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"The safety of our community has always been our top priority. We want the members of the Jewish community to feel comfortable and safe if they move about during the Sabbath, through their place of worship, to their events and if we can help bolster that with our visible presence, then we're definitely going to do that," Cooper said.
Melvindale is among the surrounding communities that will also see increased police patrols. Melvindale Police Chief Chris Egan said officers will be patrolling local mosques, churches, and schools.
"All of our officers, every day, are out there patrolling and they can be highly visible but obviously after an event like yesterday, it's even more heightened," Egan said.
Egan said no threats have been reported in Melvindale, but that the department is taking the situation seriously.
"In Melvindale, we haven't had any threats, either threats of attacks or counter hate threats in Melvindale, but that doesn't mean we're not going to take this situation seriously like we always do," Egan said.
While officers are increasing their visibility, police are also urging community members to stay vigilant.
"Unfortunately, you live in a time, you get to a point where it's not if something is going to happen but when," Cooper said.
"We're ready, we've been training for a long time, and we hope we never have to deploy the specific tactics, but if we do, we'll do whatever we have to to keep this community safe," Cooper said.
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