JCRC Statement
January 27, 2022
We are pleased to inform you that at a press conference today headlined by Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, he announced that the county has awarded a total of $700,000 in security grants for faith based non-profit organizations. In contrast to the federal and Maryland state security grants that are geared towards capital needs, this grant is focused on operating funds -that is resources to hire off-duty police officers to protect our houses of worship, day schools, and agencies. More than two-thirds of the grants were awarded to Jewish institutions as listed below. The JCRC of Greater Washington, working quietly with local officials for over two years, spearheaded the development of this grant process, which several officials and faith leaders noted during the press conference. We also believe Montgomery County is the first local jurisdiction in the country to offer such a security grant program.
Please note that we are currently advocating with county government officials to increase the dollars available in this grant pool. Our goal is to convince other local governments to develop similar programs in our region, and throughout the nation.