New York awards record $63.9M in security funding for organizations at risk of hate crimes

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday that the state will direct a record $63.9 million in funding to organizations at risk of being targeted by hate crimes.

The funding will pay for physical security measures and cybersecurity at 336 organizations in the state, Hochul said in a statement. The organizations receiving the funding include nonprofits and community organizations at risk of hate crimes due to ideology, beliefs or their mission — including but not limited to religious groups.

Since 2021, New York State has awarded $131.5 million in similar security grants. The outsize sum comes after a year in which antisemitism has spiked in New York City, following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that launched the war in Gaza.

“Creating a place where all New Yorkers feel safe, accepted and supported — no matter what may set them apart — is one of my top priorities, and I’m committed to using every possible tool to do just that,” Hochul said.

The funding will mostly go to organizations in New York City, the mid-Hudson region and Long Island. The state’s Division of Criminal Justice Services is informing applicants who will receive the funding on Tuesday. The governor’s statement did not disclose any information about the applicants or those receiving the grants, including how many applications were filed.

The state program comes in addition to more than $44.8 million in federal security funding for 223 New York religious organizations at risk of attacks from terrorists or extremists. That funding, from the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, will allocate $36 million to organizations in the New York City metro area and $8.8 million to other parts of the state. 

The federal government will spend nearly $150 million more this year than it did in 2023 to secure religious institutions, a jump aimed at addressing a rise in antisemitism nationwide since Oct. 7, 2023. The federal total for this year is $454.5 million, the largest sum ever allocated toward the program.

The funding from the programs can cover measures including physical equipment such as reinforced doors, active shooter training and security contractors.

The funding is not specifically for Jewish institutions, but synagogues and other Jewish organizations use the grants for security and Jewish organizations have long advocated for the program. In this year’s federal allocation, 37% of recipients were Jewish groups, according to Jewish Insider.

Jewish New York lawmakers hailed Hochul’s announcement, including Chuck Schumer, the Senate majority leader, and state Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz of the Bronx, who said in a statement that the allocation “sends a powerful message that hate has no place in our state.”

In New York City, Jews are consistently targeted in hate crimes more than any other group. Anti-Jewish attacks have surged since Oct. 7, 2023.

NYPD data released on Tuesday said Jews had been targeted in 21 hate crime incidents in November, more than the 19 crimes targeting all other groups combined.

An August report by Tom DiNapoli, the state comptroller, found that antisemitic hate crimes had increased by 89% from 2018 to 2023 across New York State. 

In addition to security funding, New York legislators have sought to use legislation to protect Jews. Last week, Hochul signed legislation that criminalizes the removal of someone else’s religious garb, including kippahs and hijabs. 

In Long Island’s Nassau County, the legislature passed a bill proposed by Israeli-American Mazi Pilip that bans masks at protests, a common sight at pro-Palestinian demonstrations that, according to law enforcement, has impeded the prosecution of people who perpetrate crimes. Jewish groups and other pro-Israel activists have pushed for a similar statewide law.

Hochul said earlier this year that she would back legislation expanding the number of crimes eligible for hate crimes prosecution, but the bill has not yet passed.