A prompt tip provided by a Jewish community security group led to the apprehension of a 34-year-old Los Angeles man, Ryan Scott Bradford, who advocated for violence against Jews. The arrest, which took place last month, was the result of a joint effort by various law enforcement agencies, following a raid on Bradford’s residence.

During the execution of the search warrant, authorities uncovered 116 rounds of ammunition, which Bradford was prohibited from having due to his criminal history. Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office reported the discovery of substantial Nazi propaganda materials, including posters of Adolf Hitler and written statements promoting violence against Jewish people.

The raid was made possible through the diligent efforts of the Community Security Initiative (CSI), a program spearheaded by the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. CSI employs a team of analysts who continuously monitor various platforms for indications of anti-Semitic threats, with the goal of preventing potential attacks.

Joella Dunn-Bernstein of CSI emphasized, “Our team constantly scours open-source information, looking for patterns of hate. The disturbing trends we’ve identified indicate a rise in hate-related incidents, which is deeply concerning.”

The trail leading to Bradford began in March 2022 when CSI first became aware of his activities. Subsequent monitoring revealed an escalation in his engagement in hate-related activities, prompting concern from the security group. Larry Mead, a representative of CSI, detailed the findings, saying, “We uncovered evidence that the suspect was producing ghost guns using 3D printers, some of which displayed Nazi swastikas—a significant escalation in his level of threat.”

Upon identifying Bradford’s increasingly dangerous behavior, CSI collaborated with law enforcement agencies, sharing crucial information that eventually led to his arrest.

Rabbi Noach Farkas of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles commented on the situation, calling it a “reemergence of antisemitism.” He revealed a startling statistic: “Over the past few years, there has been a 200% surge in anti-Semitic incidents and crimes targeting Jewish individuals.”

Beyond its role in threat detection and prevention, CSI offers safety and security training for various communities.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)