by Ireland Owens
Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday that she is distributing $70 million in state grants aiming to safeguard against hate crimes.
Hochul’s office said in a press release that the funding will be disbursed to 290 nonprofit community-based organizations that “are vulnerable to hate crimes and attacks due to their ideology, beliefs or mission.” The Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes grant program will enable the nonprofits to “strengthen both their physical facilities and cyber security as well as increase the safety of staff and individuals they serve,” according to the announcement.
“Keeping New Yorkers safe is my top priority — and even as we’ve driven violent crime to historic lows, any increase in hate crimes is absolutely unacceptable,” Hochul said in a statement. “As Jewish New Yorkers prepare for the High Holidays, we’re continuing our record investments to protect sensitive sites and surging State Police resources to keep communities safe across our state.”
The funds will be utilized to bolster “exterior or interior security improvements, such as lighting, locks, alarms, panic buttons, fencing, barriers, access controls, shatter-resistant glass, blast-resistant film, public address systems, cybersecurity enhancements and impact protection improvements, as well as to cover the cost of security training,” according to Hochul’s office.
Tuesday’s announcement comes after hate crimes surged in New York City over the past year. Total reported hate crimes in the Big Apple rose 15.8% in August in comparison to 2025, with 425 in 2026 compared to 367 the year prior, according to recent data from the New York Police Department.
“New Yorkers have always been defined by our embrace of diversity, with people from all backgrounds living together cheek by jowl, mostly in peace. But while we rightly celebrate our track record, we can’t ignore the times we fall short, and the current rise in hate crimes, particularly anti-semitic hate crimes, demands concrete action,” Democratic New York State Sen. Liz Krueger said in a statement. “So I’m very pleased that Governor Hochul will be distributing $70 million through the Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes grant program to help protect critical religious and community organizations across the state.”
“Jewish communities across New York are facing a troubling rise in antisemitism. As the anniversary of September 11th and the High Holidays approach, schools, synagogues, and families need their government to take their security as seriously as they do,” Teach Coalition CEO Sydney Altfield said in a statement. “We applaud Governor Hochul for helping Jewish New Yorkers learn and worship safely while easing the enormous security burden our communities face.”
Nonprofit organizations able to apply for the grants include religious groups and houses of worship, community and civic centers, cultural museums, daycare centers and other nonprofits, per the news release.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced Tuesday that Raul Morales, a 51-year-old man, had been indicted for allegedly stabbing two men in an antisemitic attack on the Upper West Side on July 23.
Hochul’s announcement follows her visit to the Islamic Cultural Center of New York last month, where she wore a hijab.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who is running against Hochul for New York governor, criticized Hochul for wearing a hijab.
“Kathy Hochul will say whatever she needs to say and become whoever she needs to become when there are votes on the line. Less than two weeks before the 25th anniversary of 9/11, this kind of political pandering is especially tone-deaf. New Yorkers deserve a Governor with principles that don’t change depending on the audience,” Blakeman said on social media.
After receiving criticism, the governor said she was “invited as a guest,” according to ABC 7.
“I always wear the appropriate attire, whether I am going to a temple, whether I am going to an Orthodox community or whether I am going to a catholic church in the Vatican,” she said.
– – –
Ireland Owens is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation. Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network and contributed to this story.
Photo “Kathy Hochul” by Kathy Hochul.
