Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYPD Chief of Patrol Rodney Harrison said in a press conference Thursday that hate crimes are up 81 percent in New York Ciity since this time last year.

Mayor de Blasio stated that two-thirds of those hate crimes targeted the Jewish community.

Joined by NYPD officers from across the borough, prominent members of the Jewish community and students from Yeshiva Flatbush called attention to this worrying statistic.

The group rallied at Midwood Jewish Center, stating that the community has been affected by hateful acts. They added it is also a community where many holocaust survivors and families of holocaust survivors live.

During the conference, the mayor spoke of a recent act of hatred in Midwood where a 77-year-old woman found two swastikas sketched on the wall outside her home. He says she is not alone, and with New York City having the largest Jewish population of any city in the world, the city as a whole must take a stand against hatred.

"We have to be a beacon. We have to be the example to the entire world as what it means to protect our Jewish community," says Mayor de Blasio.

Chief of Patrol Harrison added that they are putting more police officers in areas of concern while also training officers to stay vigilant.