SAFE Louisville is a comprehensive community-wide safety and security initiative for the Jewish Community of Louisville (JCL) to address the growing threats we face as Jewish institutions in America. Created by the Board of Directors of the JCL, SAFE Louisville is committed to fostering a culture where all members of the community can participate fully in Jewish life with a feeling of safety and security.
Membership
The SAFE Louisville Committee is comprised of representatives from the major Jewish institutions in Louisville. Additional members may be added as deemed appropriate by the Committee (e.g., from local, regional or federal law enforcement or other governmental agencies).
Collaboration
Committee members are committed to collaborating in the development and operation of a community-wide safety and security plan, prioritizing the best interests of the community as a whole. At the same time, individual Jewish institutions retain the right to develop plans tailored to their unique circumstances, and SAFE Louisville does not have the authority to dictate what any individual institution must do.
Leverage Community Resources
SAFE Louisville will collaborate to the maximum extent possible with non-Jewish organizations in the community also committed to safety and security. These include non-profits (e.g., Red Cross), local authorities (e.g., police), and regional/federal entities (FBI, Department of Homeland Security, etc.).
Funding
The SAFE Louisville Committee will function on a voluntary basis. However, member institutions are committed to developing a safety and security plan that reflects best practices so that together we can approach funding sources to support implementation of the plan. In addition, wherever possible SAFE Louisville will leverage its collective purchasing power to reduce the costs of plan implementation.
All-Hazards Approach
While SAFE Louisville’s focus is on the unique threats faced by Jewish communities, the elements of a comprehensive safety and security plan apply equally to other hazards such as tornadoes, fires, and other risks. Accordingly, SAFE Louisville will take an “all hazards” approach and include these other risks in development of a community safety and security plan.
Safety and Security Plan
SAFE Louisville will produce a comprehensive, community-wide safety and security plan that reflects best practices to address the risks that face our community as a whole and our individual Jewish institutions. The plan will be a source document that prioritizes the safety and security measures that should be taken over a defined period of time and will support our collective effort to seek funding for implementation of the plan.
SAFE Louisville consults and partners with the Secure Community Network (SCN) and other experts for advice about safety and security best practices to devise a plant that meets the unique needs and culture of the Louisville community.
SAFE Louisville in the Future
SAFE Louisville will become a permanent part of our Jewish Community. The SAFE Louisville Committee will remain in effect, the safety and security plan will be updated periodically, and key elements of the plan will be implemented and re-implemented on an ongoing basis as circumstances dictate.
For more information or to request a facility risk assesssment or safety/security training, please contact the JCL’s Regional Security Officer via email.
