About 200 people attended a recent safety seminar organized on March 7 by the Concerned Citizens League (CCL) synagogue members in response to an alarming rise in Chicago crime rates, particularly carjacking.
Instructor and synagogue security director Craig Lawrence said that the most important thing we can do for our loved ones is “to ensure they are safe.” He said that the tools given in the seminar will help participants avoid becoming victims – and escape with “minimal injuries” if they do.
In response to growing concerns of antisemitic attacks, the CCL offers synagogue safety officer (SSO) training courses to improve safety at places of Jewish worship in Chicagoland (metropolitan Chicago).
Those who attended the seminar, in-person and online, were also introduced to self-defense tools and weapons they might employ as part of their regular daily routine leaving their homes.
The CCL publication for the event said that, in a time of police budget cuts and officers being “discouraged from proactively enforcing the law,” it is up to individuals to take responsibility for their own safety and of those around them. “Why are elected officials decreasing police abilities to keep you safe?” asked Lincolnwood Mayor Barry Bass.
In addition to this course, the CCL offers firearms training, CPR certification and urban survival retreats for men.
Approximately 350 carjacking crimes have been reported in 2021, many involving firearms, NBC Chicago reported. To confront the rising crime tide, Chicago police added 40 officers to ensure that each detective in the city would have a carjacking task force.