Police increase patrols to provide reassurance to the wider community

Assistant Chief Constable John Murphy said: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the further escalation in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.   

“This will undoubtedly increase the profound sadness in communities across Bedfordshire at the further loss of innocent life.  Our thoughts are with all those affected by these terrible events and we hope that peace and order will soon be restored.  

“This is a deeply distressing situation for people around the world which is also felt here in Bedfordshire, and we fully understand the concern, anger, upset and anxiety being felt. 

“We also appreciate that different communities here in Bedfordshire have concerns regarding these events and potential local repercussions.  

“Racial and faith-based discrimination will not be tolerated by us in any form.  We take all reports of hate crime seriously because we know that they have a devastating impact on individual victims and wider communities.

“In order to ensure that our communities remain safe, we have increased our police presence with dedicated patrols in some areas to enhance visibility, provide reassurance and prevent offences.

“Bedfordshire Police is proud of the relationships and support we have across the county. We would ask everyone to continuing working with us during these challenging times to keep all our communities safe.” 

If you've witnessed or been the victim of hate crime, you can report it via our online reporting centre.