NEW YORK — New state funding is available to New York counties to help form teams to assess and manage domestic terrorist threats.
On Friday, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that $10 million is available to all counties in the state to develop Threat Assessment and Management (TAM) Teams, which is part of local Domestic Terrorism Prevention Plans that are required following the signing of Executive Order 18.
"In the wake of the horrific white supremacist attack in my hometown of Buffalo, we committed to confronting and eradicating the scourge of domestic terror," Hochul said in a news release.
"My number one priority as governor is keeping New Yorkers safe, and this much-needed funding will be critical to supporting our local public safety partners to confront domestic terrorism within their own communities. By working together, we can make sure New York is prepared for any and all risks that threaten our collective security, and prevent future acts of domestic terrorism and extremist violence across the state."
The executive order aims to help counties fight domestic terrorism. The order required counties create plans with input from law enforcement, mental health professionals, school officials, social service agencies, and others for how to confront domestic terrorism. Counties will need to submit plans to the state by the end of the year.
Last week, a two-day summit provided information to county officials on how funding can be acquired to create TAM teams. Each county can get up to $172,413 to help fund these teams.
"We are proud to support our public safety partners in the fight against domestic terrorism and targeted violence here in New York State. Thanks to Governor Hochul, our team is working directly with our stakeholders to get funding out the door and provide guidance to meet the challenges ahead and keep New Yorkers safe," Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said.
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