$25K Awarded To Levittown Hindu Temple For Safety Improvements

LEVITTOWN, PA — A Hindu temple in Levittown was awarded $24,978 through state grants which will be used for safety improvements around the house of worship.

Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam (BAPS) Swaminarayan Sanstha was awarded the funds through Nonprofit Security Grants from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. State Rep. John Galloway, D-Bucks, oversaw the collecting of funds for the Hindu temple, which is located at 1561 Woodbourne Rd.

The grant money will be used for safety and security planning, the purchase of safety and security equipment, safety and security training for staff members, and threat awareness and response training.

This grant program was created with Act 83 of 2019. The act directs Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) to administer grants to nonprofit organizations that principally serve individuals, groups or institutions that are included within a bias motivation category for single-bias hate crime incidents as identified by the FBI's Hate Crime Statistics Publication.

Applicants are eligible for security enhancements designed to protect the safety and security of the users of a facility located in the Commonwealth that is owned or operated by the nonprofit organization.

Upgrades to existing structures that enhance safety and security will be a priority vulnerability and threat assessments. Specialty-trained canines were also mentioned in the list of uses of the grant money.

"I am very glad to see that this beautiful temple in Levittown will be able to bolster its security thanks to this state grant," Galloway said. "Our places of worship are our spiritual homes. From birth to death, they are the place we go to pray, worship and make affirming connections with our faith community."

The funds will also be used for the purchase of security-related technology, including, but not limited to, metal detectors, protective lighting, surveillance equipment, special emergency communications equipment, electronic locksets, deadbolts, trauma kits and theft-control devices.

"People must be able to go to their houses of worship knowing they are safe and free to worship without fear of violence," Galloway said. "This grant will help keep Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha and its worshippers safe.”