NYC boosts police presence after flurry of suspected anti-semitic attacks

New York City has stepped up police presence in major Jewish neighborhoods following multiple suspected anti-semitic attacks over the past week, local media reported.

Besides putting more security in areas like Borough Park, Crown Heights and Williamsburg, police also boosted visits to houses of worship and some other places.

On Saturday, a woman accused of slapping people in Brooklyn's Crown Heights was charged with attempted assault as a hate crime, according to court records.

Tiffany Harris, 30, slapped three women in the face and head after encountering them on a corner. The victims suffered minor pain, police said.

A string of similar attacks have taken place across the city as the Jewish community are celebrating their traditional festival Hanukkah starting on Dec. 22 this year.

Other victims include a 65-year-old man who was punched and kicked in Manhattan, a 67-year-old man with children who were assaulted by a group of teens in Brooklyn, and a 40-year-old who was punched in the face on Christmas Day.

During a press conference on Friday afternoon, Rodney Harrison, the New York Police Department's chief of detectives, said that investigators will "do their best" to bring the criminals to justice.

"Hate doesn't have a home in our city," said New York Mayor Bill de Blasio in a tweet on Friday, adding that anyone "who terrorizes our Jewish community" will face justice.