Fuel-tanker warning no cause for panic, S.F. security pro says

An FBI warning that Al Qaida might attack Jewish targets with gasoline trucks ignited widespread concern and fueled heightened security in Jewish communities nationwide this week.

But this type of threat against the Jewish community is "nothing new," says a local security expert.

According to Allan Lavigne, security director for the Jewish Community Relations Council and S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation, Islamic terrorist organizations "have been specifically expressing their intent to target Americans and Jews" since Sept. 11.

"We've had to constantly remain vigilant so we don't get a punch like the one at the World Trade Center," said Lavigne, a 20-year veteran in the security field, who was brought aboard by the JCRC and JCF last month.

"It's like being in the ring with a prize fighter. You can't let your guard down. When you do, that's when you get hit."

Still, the latest FBI warning -- which preceded a report in Sunday's New York Times that Al Qaida claimed responsibility for the April 11 deadly fuel truck bombing of a synagogue on the Tunisian island of Djerba -- has inflamed fears.

Last Friday, "we were inundated with calls," said Martin Raffel, associate executive director of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs in New York.

People asked if they should attend Shabbat services, or what kinds of precautions they could take. "People are nervous," he said.

Locally, the Anti-Defamation League and the JCRC issued a joint statement informing the community about the threat. The groups encouraged individuals to "be extremely alert to fuel and tanker trucks parked near your facilities" and to call police "if any doubt exists relative to the legitimacy of such trucks, particularly if no fuel delivery is expected."

The San Francisco Police Department meanwhile increased its patrols of Jewish institutions, according to Abby Michelson Porth, assistant JCRC director.

Jonathan Bernstein, executive director of the ADL's Central Pacific region, said his organization and the JCRC were not trying to cause panic, but felt it was important to inform the Jewish community of "credible threats" against them.

"We should be more alert and more aware of our surroundings, but still continue our lives as Jews," he said.

Lavigne agreed. He fielded calls from several institutions and mostly encouraged "business as usual."

Additionally, he suggested that Jewish institutions develop relationships with law enforcement officials and report anything that seems out of place, or any strange phone calls or threats.

"Another great thing to do is have a volunteer who acts as a greeter at your synagogue or school. That way there's someone screening who comes in."

Lavigne is the former corporate director of security for Ritz Carlton Hotels, where he oversaw 43 properties internationally. Most recently he spent seven months preparing a civil defense plan for the Pentagon following the terror attacks. In the months just after the attacks, he provided around the clock protection for international dignitaries meeting with President Bush, including the prime minister of Yemen and the president of Nigeria.

But Lavigne said he considers working with the Bay Area Jewish community "no less serious. This is the front line here. It's a significant part of the war effort."

In his six-month contract position, funded by the Jewish Community Endowment Fund of the JCF, Lavigne will provide security consultation for the nearly 180 Jewish agencies, synagogues and institutions under the JCF's jurisdiction.

Among other things, he will address security needs, liaison between Jewish agencies and area law enforcement, field questions and concerns, evaluate procedures and provide training. He will also serve as a security adviser for large-scale community events, such as last Sunday's march against terror in San Francisco and the upcoming San Francisco Jewish Film Festival.

The Jewish Federation of the Greater East Bay is engaged in a similar effort. Earlier this year, it formed a task force on crisis management and security, bringing aboard a security consultant of their own to work with the federation's beneficiary agencies and other institutions, such as synagogues, day schools and community centers.