The New York Police Department will increase foot patrols at mosques during Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting that begins in August, amid a rise this year in the number of hate crimes against Muslims.
“I know this is the most sacred time of the year for the Muslim faith,” Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Tuesday at a news conference attended by about 400 people, including leaders of the Muslim community. “Our goal at the department is that you are able to experience it in safety and in peace.”
New York City has more than 100 mosques, compared with 10 in 1970, said Philip Banks III, chief of the department’s Community Affairs Bureau. Ramadan starts Aug. 11 and ends Sept. 9.