New York State Police is increasing in vulnerable communities after Colorado LBGTQ+ nightclub shooting

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York State Police is increasing its presence in communities that could be potential targets of hate crimes. Gov. Kathy Hochul made that announcement after the Colorado shooting. 

It’s also in response to threats made against Jewish communities in New York City over the weekend. State police, NYPD, and other groups are monitoring social media for threats.

The state police counter-terrorism intelligence unit is conducting outreach to LBGTQ+ and Jewish communities.

The Colorado Springs community is in mourning after five people were killed at a gay nightclub on Saturday.

While police have yet to confirm a motive, the deadly attack reflects a growing and disturbing trend, an uptick in hate crimes in America.

FBI statistics show that crimes against members of the gay community surged more than 50% last year and are up slightly in the first half of this year.

The latest attack stirred up memories of the 2016 Pulse Nightclub mass shooting in Orlando. 49 people were killed, making it the second deadliest shooting in American history. It was later determined that the shooting may not have targeted the gay community but a possible revenge shooting against U.S. government anti-terrorist policies abroad.

“You’ve seen it around all of these marginalized communities whose voices take up a smaller piece of the pie in this country, but need more protection, because we’re victims and we’re being targeted by these extremist communities,” said activist Sarah Kate Ellis, activist.

Asian and Jewish communities have also been targeted in recent years. A study from California State University of San Bernardino shows hate crimes increased for the fourth year in a row in larger U.S. cities.