NYS receives $500,000 in federal funding for combating targeted violence, domestic terrorism

Governor Kathy Hochul and Congressman Brian Higgins on Nov 1, 2022, announced New York State has been awarded $500,000 in federal funding to further the state’s efforts in combating targeted violence and domestic terrorism. The funding, awarded through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention grant program, will support the sustainment of Threat Assessment and Management teams in the City of Buffalo, Monroe County and Niagara County, as well as the development of a new team in the City of Troy. The creation and sustainment of Threat Assessment and Management Teams is a key pillar of Governor Hochul’s Executive Order 18, which was issued in the immediate aftermath of the Buffalo attack and requires each county and the City of New York to develop plans to confront domestic terrorism.   

“New York will never forget the ten Buffalonians who were senselessly murdered at the hands of a white supremacist, and we remain laser-focused on confronting and eradicating the scourge of domestic terror,” Governor Hochul said. “We are grateful for our local government partners, as well as federal partners like Congressman Brian Higgins, and this additional funding will help support threat assessment and management teams in Buffalo whose crucial work will help prevent future acts of domestic terrorism and targeted violence.”  

Representative Brian Higgins said“Targeted violence is on the rise.  In May, Buffalo experienced it firsthand, when a racist mass shooter targeted our community, killing ten of our neighbors and injuring three more at a supermarket on Jefferson Avenue in Buffalo. This grant will support the work of police and sheriff teams in Erie and Niagara Counties to assess threats of targeted violence and terrorism, giving the community and law enforcement more resources to detect and intervene in public safety risks. Thanks to the leadership of Commissioner Bray and Governor Hochul who pursued this funding, this is one of just 43 awards in the nation, delivering a half-million-dollars investment in New York’s safety.”  

Threat Assessment and Management (TAM) teams are multi-disciplinary teams consisting of law enforcement, mental health professionals, school officials, and other community stakeholders and are designed to assess and manage threats of targeted violence, including racially and ethnically-motivated violence. Already, New York State has committed $10 million in state funding to support the development of TAM Teams and these federal awards further bolster that commitment.   

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