Montgomery County announced the allocation of $1.7 million to further protect places of worship and nonprofit organizations from hate crimes.
The grants were awarded to 96 organizations that received as little as $2,500 to as much as $15,000 each.
Executive Marc Elrich and Council President Natali Fani-González announced the county originally had set aside $1.2 million. But in March due to increased threats tied to current events in the Middle East it added $500,000 more. The additional funds enabled the county to secure funding to 49 more organizations.
“This is more money that we could be using to do good things,” Elrich said. The security funds for personnel, training of community members and purchase of security equipment is necessary “to protect people, because there are too many crazy people running around.”
Fani- González noted, “This is one issue where our entire county council agreed.” She added, “We are all here together, because we understand having peace of mind in our county is important.”
In Montgomery County, “people of every single faith” are welcome, she said.
According to Luke Hodgson, Director of the county’s Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, this is the fifth year the county has allocated security funds.
Bias Incident Numbers
This year, 103 applications were received, some covering multiple properties.
During 2024, there were 483 bias incidents in the county, according to Montgomery County Police. Among the incidents 291 were school related and 192 were community related.
Hodgson said he believed there are many more incidents, because not every piece of graffiti, act of vandalism or racial or sexual slander is reported.
Why the Funds Are Needed
Ron Halber, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, complimented county legislators for the funding as well as their prompt reaction to adding an extra $500,000.
“This is how local governments should work: proactive, responsive, and effective,” Halber said.
“As I have often said, it is unfortunate that we need these resources, but we live in a world where hate towards others is an upward trajectory. I would rather see these funds spent on critical social welfare needs, but the first responsibility of government is to protect its citizens. This program must continue and be well funded so long as it is necessary.”
How the Funds Are Used
Security “is not optional. It’s essential,” agreed Mariam Khan, a board of director at Muslim Community Center. They will be using their grant to train security personnel and upgrade equipment “so we can continue to gather, learn and serve others.”
She thanked county officials for showing that “community matters, and everyone deserves to feel safe.”
Kerry Brodie, founder and executive director of Emma’s Torch, which teaches culinary skills to immigrants, said the money shows refugees who came from difficult situations that, “They are being met by the best of humanity.”
Karen Brown, a trustee at The People’s Community Baptist Church in Silver Spring, said the grant will be used for lighting and security cameras at a new children’s playground at a school that serves children from infants to kindergarten.
“We all have the right to be secure and feel secure,” added a representative of the Sikh community,
