The Montgomery County government announced Wednesday another round of nonprofit security grants to help houses of worship and community organizations at risk of hate crimes pay for security guards, cameras and other safety measures.
The program is sponsored by County Executive Marc Elrich (D) and the County Council through the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. This cycle, the county will be giving out $1.2 million in grants, the largest amount of funding the program has distributed.
“This is a sad reality. Even though Montgomery County is one of the most diverse and welcoming places in the country, we’ve seen a rash of antisemitic, Islamophobic, and other hateful acts,” Elrich said during a press briefing Wednesday.
The county has experienced a wave of hate incidents over the past couple of years. According to an October 2023 report from the Maryland State Police, spikes in antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ+ incidents contributed to a nearly 20% overall increase in hate incidents in the state in 2022. In the county, drag story hours have faced violence and bomb threats, pride flags have been vandalized and torn down, and antisemitic graffiti has been found in various public spaces across the county.
In August, police investigated multiple instances of antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ+ graffiti at school buildings and houses of worship.
The county reported a 38% increase in applications for grant funding in the cycle awarded in March 2024, with more than 150 organizations applying. The program started in 2018 when county leaders met to discuss ways to address and prevent targeted hate incidents shortly after the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh.
To qualify, an organization must either be a nonprofit at risk of hate crimes based on their work or the communities they serve, or a religious organization that has 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and is similarly at risk, according to Lisa Mantel, the program manager for the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
Each organization can submit up to five applications if they have multiple facilities. Each facility can receive up to $15,000 in grant funding. The funds can be used for security personnel, security planning and training, security drills, security cameras, or a special device called fususCORE that shares security camera footage directly with the police department.
Montgomery County is the most religiously diverse county in the country, and is home to several minority religious communities, according to Kate Chance, faith community outreach manager for the county’s Office of Community Partnerships, who cited a study by the Public Religion Research Institute.
“While we are so proud of our community, we also have to be sensitive to how various communities can be targeted and experience hate,” Chance said.
In anticipation of the one-year anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war, which began on Oct. 7, 2023, Montgomery County police will have increased presence in the community, officials said during the briefing.
“There are concerns about the Oct. 7 anniversary coming up,” Elrich said. “I’ve had many conversations with members of the Jewish, Muslim and other communities who fear for the safety of their friends abroad, they also fear for themselves and their loved ones here at home in Montgomery County. They’re scared of violence in their neighborhoods, synagogues and mosques, they’re scared of harassment.”
Last year, Montgomery County police increased patrols around Jewish and Muslim gathering places and houses of worship. Antisemitic graffiti was reported at Montgomery County Public Schools buildings and a Gaithersburg apartment building. Pro-Palestinian protesters reported offensive language and speech being used by pro-Israel protesters at a rally in Rockville, where one person was charged with threats of mass violence and will face trial.
“We will be providing high visibility patrol as a deterrent to violent acts,” said Willie Parker-Loan, assistant chief with the Montgomery County Police Department. “The community should not be alarmed when they see police officers and vehicles around religious sites or schools.”
Parker-Loan encouraged community members to report anything suspicious to the police department.
