The State of New York has made $10 million available to all 57 counties and the City of New York to support the development of threat assessment and management teams, a key component of local domestic terrorism prevention plans required under Executive Order 18. 

The Executive Order was issued by Governor Kathy Hochul in the immediate aftermath of the Buffalo active shooter attack in May 2022 and is designed to fight the surge in domestic terrorism and violent extremism frequently inspired by, planned on and posted about on social media platforms and internet forums. Pursuant to Executive Order 18, the plans must include input from law enforcement, mental health professionals, school officials, social service agencies and other key stakeholders within their jurisdictions.

The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) is encouraging localities to develop threat assessment and management teams as a means of mitigating targeted violence. Creating these teams will also contribute to meeting the requirements of creating domestic terrorism prevention plans. Each county and the City of New York are eligible to receive up to $172,413 to support these efforts.

The recent spike in domestic terror attacks represents one of the most pressing threats to public safety across the United States, according to the State of New York. In the last decade, domestic terror attacks and plots have tripled nationally. In 2021, there were 73 terrorist attacks and unearthed plots in the United States, including 38 white supremacist and similarly like-minded terrorist attacks and plots.