New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Wednesday at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Battery Park City, the availability of an additional $25 million to help nonprofit organizations improve the security of their facilities to better protect those at risk of hate crimes or attacks because of their ideology, beliefs, or mission.
The funds will be made available to organizations that have not previously received state funding for this purpose. The allocation builds on nearly $43 million awarded Wednesday to 362 nonprofit organizations to help boost security infrastructure and enhance preparedness against potential hate crime attacks.
“By their very nature, hate crimes strike at the heart of our democratic values and threaten to undermine the very tenets of our society,” Governor Hochul said. “By helping these nonprofit organizations protect themselves against these cowardly acts of violence, we continue to make public safety a top priority. Bigotry and hate have no place in our state, and we will do everything in our power to protect vulnerable people from those who would lash out against them due to their ideology, belief, or mission.”
In total, the state funding will support 872 projects across the state. These projects will bolster security at community centers, schools, museums, and day camps.
The Governor also announced an expanded online reporting form that will allow New Yorkers to report bias and hate incidents occurring in New York State (Have you experienced or witnessed bias or discrimination in your community? Tell us what happened.). The new form improves data collection capabilities and bolsters the state’s efforts to track and respond to acts of hate and discrimination.
The Governor’s announcement comes as hate and bias incidents continue throughout the state, many targeting Jewish and Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. While the number of hate crime incidents reported to police in the state represents a small fraction of total crime, these incidents are significant because they instill fear in the greater community of the victim.