Nonprofit organizations and religious institutions determined to be at high risk of terrorist attack in nine New Jersey counties can apply for $1 million in security grants, Gov. Chris Christie announced.
“Unfortunately, as incidents in the past few weeks have shown, every area of New Jersey is vulnerable to threats and possible attacks, making these additional resources crucial in our efforts to enhance security in certain parts of the state that had not previously received federal security grant funding,” Christie said Tuesday in a statement. “During these trying times, my administration remains committed to ensuring that nonprofits across our entire state have the resources they need to ensure our citizens may gather freely and securely.”
The statement referenced several bomb threat incidents at Jewish community centers around the state, part of a series of bomb threats against nearly 150 Jewish institutions throughout the country since the beginning of the year.
The grants should be available by the summer, according to the statement.
The announcement of the grants comes days after reports that Christie eliminated an increase in security funding for private schools in his proposed state budget, sparking charges from the haredi Orthodox Agudath Israel of New Jersey that he is endangering Jewish day school students.
Nonprofit organizations in New Jersey’s other 12 counties already are eligible to receive similar security funding through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program.