"President Donald Trump's administration has reversed $187 million in cuts to counterterrorism and security funding for police departments and programs in New York state. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on Friday that it was restoring "full funding" of New York's grants under a program established after 9/11 to bolster efforts to thwart terrorism attacks and security threats throughout the country. The announcement came after a week of pushback from Gov. Kathy Hochul and members of the state's Republican House delegation, who argued the funding cut would put New Yorkers at risk of attack."
"Hochul publicly raised alarm about the cuts on Monday, when she sent a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem noting they would amount to a 86% drop in the state's share of the counterterrorism funding despite New York City remaining a major target for terrorists. "Do not play games with this critical security funding," Hochul wrote. In a statement earlier in the week, DHS defended its decision to change up the funding allocation, arguing that New York City had received 30% of the program's funding since its establishment and that the changes would make the system "more effective and accountable, moving away from the fraud, waste and abuse of the past.""
Federal authorities restored $187 million in counterterrorism and security grants to New York, returning full funding for a post-9/11 program that supports police departments and related security programs. The reversal followed pushback from Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican members of the state's congressional delegation, who warned the cuts would increase risk to New Yorkers. FEMA, which administers the Homeland Security Grant Program, announced the restoration to ensure the state can confront security threats. DHS had initially defended reallocating funds to reduce perceived fraud and to rebalance allocations after New York City's historical share. Hochul said she spoke with the president, who approved the reversal.
Read at Gothamist
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