In the face of growing reports of threats on Jewish people and institutions nationwide, the Community Security Service (CSS) is launching a new app called the Jewish Security Application (JSA). JSA empowers individuals to report suspicious activity and document anti-Semitic incidents quickly and accurately from their smartphones. JSA also provides a panic button to alert local authorities to immediate threats.

Jason Friedman, Executive Director, CSS, said, ?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. CSS works on training our members to see events before they happen, as experience suggests that surveillance generally precedes an attack. JSA 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.?

David Bacall, Director of West Coast Operations of CSS, said, ?One of the core philosophies of CSS is that members of the Jewish community are in the best position to identify security threats against their community and identify them for law enforcement. As threats against our community have increased, we are inspired to bring this App to the American public, empowering Jewish people to confront today?s genuine concerns.?

?Distributing the JSA and training the community to be aware of suspicious activity will greatly help to identify trends and connect more dots,? said Bacall.

The JSA scheduled to become available free of charge for both Android and iOS phones. CSS will soon begin to distribute access to the JSA through its affiliated synagogues, schools, and community centers. Any Jewish organizations, institutions, individuals or communities interested in the JSA are encouraged to contact CSS for more information.

With the JSA community members will be able to:

• Quickly report suspicious or anti-Semitic activity
• Trigger a panic button and contact emergency services in case of emergency
• Receive security alerts from CSS
• Send messages to CSS and others
• Send video or photos to assist CSS and first responders
• Increase community awareness

The Community Security Service (CSS) was founded in 2007 with the mission of protecting Jewish life and Jewish way of life in the United States. CSS proactively protects the people, institutions and events of the American Jewish community. Partnering with Jewish organizations, governmental authorities and the police, CSS safeguards the community by training volunteers in professional security techniques, providing physical security and raising public awareness about safety issues. CSS has a trained of over 3,500 volunteers, representing the rich diversity of the American Jewish community; men and women, students to retirees, the unaffiliated and adherents from all the religious streams of Judaism.