Who are the Muslim patrols protecting US mosques?

Days after the deadly attack on a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, a private patrol service was launched in New York to protect Muslim places of worship there. The additional security has proved controversial.

On a Friday afternoon, minutes before the Muezzins at Brooklyn mosques give the call to prayer, a group of young Muslims is headed to nearby mosques in what look like New York Police Department (NYPD) squad cars.

The cars, with their red and white emergency lights on, will be parked right outside the mosques and stay put while worshippers go in and offer prayers.

The cars and volunteers represent the Muslim Community Patrol, a self-funded group, launched to provide additional security to neighbourhood mosques and Islamic schools in the area at times when they are most crowded.

Noor Rabah, a volunteer and co-founder of the group, calls it "security on steroids".

By keeping the emergency lights on and making the siren go on when there's any trouble, they hope the vehicle can act as a deterrent.

"We are not the muscle of NYPD. We are the eyes and ears to report to the proper authorities," says Mr Rabah, who formally launched the patrol service after 51 people were killed in the attack on two mosques in New Zealand in March.