LAPD, LA Sheriff Increase Patrols After Michigan Synagogue Attack

Los Angeles law enforcement agencies increased patrols around synagogues, churches, mosques, and cultural centers Thursday after a man rammed a vehicle into a synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan, prompting a security response that extends to communities across L.A. County, including Burbank.

The Michigan incident ended when a security guard at the synagogue exchanged gunfire with the suspect inside the vehicle. Local Michigan authorities said the suspect was believed to be deceased. No injuries were reported to anyone inside the building.

The LAPD confirmed Thursday afternoon that there is no known threat against Los Angeles, but said it is closely monitoring developments from Michigan. The department moved quickly to expand its footprint around houses of worship regardless.

“Out of an abundance of caution, the Department has increased visible patrols around houses of worship and associated schools, as well as cultural centers across the City,” the LAPD said in a statement. “We stand in solidarity with the Jewish community in Michigan and here in Los Angeles.”

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department issued a parallel statement, describing its posture as “heightened” and confirming expanded patrols around religious and cultural institutions countywide.

“We are monitoring the situation in Michigan, along with other incidents across the nation and the conflict in the Middle East and continuing to engage our federal and local law enforcement partners to share intelligence,” the sheriff’s department said.

The LASD also confirmed no known threat against the county as of Thursday.

Mayor Karen Bass condemned the attack in a statement, pledging continued LAPD presence at places of worship across the city. Governor Gavin Newsom called antisemitism “disgusting” and said the state is coordinating with law enforcement to keep Jewish communities protected.

The Michigan attack landed against a backdrop of sustained concern over antisemitic incidents across Southern California. In Burbank, a teenager was arrested in late February in connection with antisemitic graffiti vandalism, a case that drew significant attention from city officials and the local Jewish community. That arrest came roughly a year and a half after a man killed two people in a car ramming and stabbing attack at a synagogue in the United Kingdom on Yom Kippur in 2025.

Burbank sits within LAPD jurisdiction for some areas and borders Sheriff’s Department territory, and the city’s own Police Department has its own protocols for coordinating with county and federal partners on hate crime monitoring. The Burbank Police Department did not issue a statement by press time Thursday, but the broader law enforcement response from LAPD and LASD covers institutions within and around the city.

Burbank has a notable Jewish community presence, including synagogues along the foothills corridor and community organizations active throughout the Media District and residential neighborhoods. Any increase in county or city patrols around religious institutions would apply to those facilities.

The pattern of vehicle attacks on places of worship has put security officials across the country on alert in recent years. Soft perimeter protections, including bollards, security personnel, and increased camera coverage, have become more common at synagogues in the Los Angeles area, often with support from federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program funding.

Thursday’s response from the LAPD and LASD reflects a posture that law enforcement agencies have maintained with increasing regularity: acting on a preventive basis even when no credible local threat exists, particularly following high-profile incidents in other parts of the country.

Both agencies said they will continue working with local, state, national, and international partners to prevent hate crimes and acts of violence. The LAPD said it also remains in contact with community leaders from Jewish organizations, as well as other faith communities, as part of its ongoing outreach efforts.

Anyone who sees suspicious activity near a house of worship or cultural center in Burbank or the surrounding area is encouraged to contact the Burbank Police Department non-emergency line or submit a tip through the LAPD’s online portal.