New York police tighten security at Jewish sites, after French attack

NEW YORK – New York police increased security at synagogues and other Jewish institutions citywide on Monday following a deadly attack on a Jewish school in Toulouse, France, Reuters reported.

Paul Browne, spokesman for the New York Police Department, told Reuters "although there is no known specific threat … the NYPD has taken the precaution of stepping up coverage of Jewish neighborhoods and institutions."

Increased surveillance was being ramped up at about 40 locations.

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New York has the largest Jewish population of any metropolitan area outside of Israel, said Levi Fishman, spokesman UJA-Federation of New York. About 1.4 million Jews live in the area.

A gunman on a motor bike shot dead three children and a teacher early Monday morning. French President Nicolas Sarkozy vowed to hunt down the gunman, effectively putting his election campaign on hold in the wake of a "national tragedy," the Guardian reported.

CNN reported the incident at Ozar Hatorah school marked the third time in the past 10 days that a gunman on a motorcycle has fired on people in southern France.

According to The Associated Press, Sarkozy said authorities were raising the terrorism alert in sourthern France to "scarlet," the highest level, 

Fourteen riot police units "will secure the region as long as the criminal" has not been caught, Sarkozy was quoted as saying.

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