PICO-ROBERTSON, LOS ANGELES (CNS) — Rosh Hashana began at sundown Wednesday with the Los Angeles Police Department pledging to have a “strategic presence” around synagogues and other houses of worship amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.

“I can tell you that we have been planning and meeting not only internally but with our other law enforcement partners to provide a safe time period for (holiday gatherings),” LAPD Interim Chief Dominic Choi told KNX News. “You’ll see a strategic presence of our law enforcement professionals out there at critical sites, engaging with our community leaders, talking, so everyone’s informed of how to contact us, how to get early notifications if we see anything — see something, say something.

“There’s been a lot of discussion, a lot of planning,” Choi said.

While planning for stepped-up security was already well underway, the urgency increased Tuesday when Iran launched missile strikes against Israel in apparent retaliation for Israeli attacks targeting Iran-based Hezbollah. The attacks dramatically heightened tensions in the Middle East and fears of a regional war.

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The Beverly Hills Police Department issued a statement saying it is “closely monitoring world events and, as a precautionary measure, has increased patrols and partnered with private security to ensure the continued safety of our community around synagogues and houses of worship during Rosh Hashanah and the High Holy Days.”

The agency urged anyone who sees any suspicious activity to call 911 for emergencies or (310) 550-4951 for non-emergencies.