Syracuse and Onondaga County each receive more than $100,000 in counterterrorism funding

The city of Syracuse and Onondaga County will each be receiving more than $100,000 in federal Homeland Security grant funding, New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other officials announced Tuesday.

Cuomo, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and members of the New York Congressional Delegation said in a joint statement Tuesday over $5 million in federal funding will be distributed to cities, counties and other municipalities across New York to “bolster counter terrorism initiatives and strengthen public safety efforts.”

Onondaga County and the city of Syracuse both separately received a tactical team targeted grant and an explosive detection canine grant.

“This funding is essential to ensuring New York’s local law enforcement and emergency response teams are prepared, trained and equipped with the tools and experience needed to protect this state,” Cuomo said in the statement.

Onondaga County will be receiving a $100,000 tactical team targeted grant to focus on “sustaining, maintaining, and improving” existing law enforcement tactical teams. The city of Syracuse will also be receiving a $100,000 tactical team grant for the same reasons.

The tactical team funding “aims to enhance existing capabilities, specifically for improvised explosive device or counter terrorism missions,” according to the statement. In total, the state received $2.97 million through the tactical team grants for 30 organizations, according to the statement.

The county will also be receiving a $65,000 explosive detection canine grant to “sustain local explosive detection canine teams.” Explosive detection canine teams provide a “visible, proactive deterrent factor in high-risk areas, such as mass gathering events and critical infrastructure sites,” according to the statement. The city of Syracuse will be receiving a $14,310 explosive canine grant for the same reasons. In total, the state received $642,776 through the explosive detection canine grants for 22 law enforcement agencies, according to the statement.

“This funding is essential to ensuring New York’s local law enforcement and emergency response teams are prepared, trained and equipped with the tools and experience needed to protect this state,” Cuomo said in the statement. “These grants support state-of-the-art training and defense tactics and I commend New York’s Congressional delegation for their partnership in securing this funding to help keep New Yorkers safe.”

Both Onondaga County and the city of Syracuse will not be receiving a technical rescue and urban search and rescue grant, and will also not be receiving a critical infrastructure grant.

“Providing local governments with the funds necessary to support the public safety of the communities they serve is essential to keeping our residents, and those who visit our state, safe. These programs allow our first responders to enhance their abilities to protect life and property,” said John Melville, the commissioner of the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, in the release.

In the release, Gillibrand said the funding will keep communities within the state “safe from threats to their security.”

“New York is the number one terror target in the world, and we need to make sure our local law enforcement have the resources they need to protect our communities,” Gillibrand said. “I will always fight for the necessary resources and funds to protect New Yorkers and keep our state safe.”