Gov. Polis demands Trump administration release $69 million in public safety grants promised to the state
Summit County Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons noted that the county relies on federal grants to ensure public safety including related to the Dillon Reservoir and White River National Forest
Jason Connolly/For the Summit Daily News
Gov. Jared Polis is calling on President Donald Trump’s administration to release more than $69 million in public safety grants promised to Colorado.
Despite a court order, the Trump administration has continued to stop paying for important programs like state and local cyber security, the Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant Program, the Urban Area Security Initiative and the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
The pause in federal funds was a result of an effort by the Trump administration to reduce federal debt. The Office of Management and Budget memo that caused the freeze stated that “more than $3 trillion was Federal financial assistance, such as grants and loans.”
“In Colorado, we are focused on improving public safety and this delay and uncertainty makes us less safe,” Polis said in the release. “Common sense support to improve safety for Boys and Girls Clubs, places of worship, stopping school violence, and disaster assistance is illegally being cut off by the Trump administration. This wrecking ball approach from the federal government puts communities throughout Colorado at risk.”
- State Homeland Security Grants, $18,660,250
- Emergency Management Performance Grants, $6,355,282
- State and Local Cybersecurity Grants, $9,786,461
- Emergency Operations Center Grants, $2,446,557
- Nonprofit Security Grants, $9,872,027
- Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grants, $775,720
- Urban Area Security Initiative Grants, $15,200,484
Source: Colorado Governor’s Office
A U.S. District Court issued a temporary restraining order that prohibits the government from pausing, freezing or otherwise impeding the disbursement of federal financial assistance to the states, the release states. But the Trump administration continues to withhold the funds from organizations that are implementing “much-needed safety measures,” according to the governor’s office.
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Summit County Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons said in the release that the federal government’s freeze on the Homeland Security Grants is “deeply concerning.”
“As home to the most visited national forest in the nation — the White River National Forest — a critical stretch of Interstate 70, and dam infrastructure vital to the Colorado River Basin, Summit County relies on federal funding to support public safety across private, public, and federal lands,” FitzSimons said. “Public safety must remain a priority, and restoring these funds is essential.”
