RELEASE: Gottheimer Claws Back $3.7 Million in Federal Dollars for Public Safety in Sussex County

Resources / Uncategorized Share on RELEASE: Gottheimer Claws Back $3.7 Million in Federal Dollars for Public Safety in Sussex County Oct 16, 2026 Uncategorized Above: Gottheimer Announces $3.7 Million in Federal Dollars for Public Safety in Sussex County. NEWTON, NJ — Today, October 16, 2026, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) announced that he successfully clawed back $3.68 million in new federal Homeland Security funding for Sussex County first responders, helping upgrade emergency communications, expand counterterrorism training, and strengthen public safety while delivering real tax relief for local families. The federal investment Gottheimer secured will replace aging equipment and move Sussex County toward a single, interoperable communications standard, so local, county, and State Police can communicate clearly and seamlessly across town lines when seconds matter most. By clawing back federal dollars to North Jersey communities and first responders, Gottheimer is helping lift high costs off local budgets, reducing the burden on Sussex County taxpayers to pay for essential public safety equipment and helping lower property taxes for local families. Video of Gottheimer’s announcement can be found here . “When something goes wrong, the people who show up are the people standing right here. Today, I am proud to announce that we have clawed back $3.68 million in federal Homeland Security funding from Washington for Sussex County first responders, families, and towns. I will always get the backs of our law enforcement, our firefighters, and our first responders,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), Co-Chair of the Law Enforcement Caucus and member of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus. “We know that Josh Gottheimer is the claw back king,” said Sussex County Prosecutor Daniel M. Perez. “He works day in and day out to claw back federal taxpayer funds for first responders in Sussex County. You may not know this, but every day Josh wakes up and says ‘how can I redirect federal funds back to Sussex County? How can I claw back taxpayer dollars from Moocher States?’ Then he goes to work, reaches across the aisle, and delivers results for our families.” The funding will be used as follows: Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office, $300,000: A countywide interoperable radio system linking every municipal law enforcement agency, the New Jersey State Police, and the Sheriff’s Office. It will also fund protective gear and other equipment for the Sussex County Rescue Task Force. Sussex County Sheriff’s Office, $200,000: 7/800 MHz radios that integrate with the New Jersey State frequency, migrating the county’s dispatched towns onto the State’s upgraded system. Andover Township PD, $200,000: A public safety video network system and training. Branchville PD, $200,000: Radio communications upgrades and training. Frankford PD, $150,000: Radio communications upgrades and training. Franklin Borough PD, $200,000: Video network enhancement and a virtual-reality law enforcement training system. Hamburg Borough PD, $150,000: Public Safety video security project and training. Hampton PD, $150,000: Radio communications upgrades and training. Hardyston Township PD, $200,000: A public safety video network system and training. Lafayette Township Office of Emergency Management, $200,000: Communications upgrades in the Emergency Operations Center to support interoperability and continuity of operations, plus training. Montague PD, $200,000: Radio communications upgrades and training. Newton PD, $100,000: Radio communications upgrades and training. Sandyston PD, $150,000: Radio communications upgrades and training. Sussex Borough PD, $200,000: Radio communications upgrades and training. Vernon Township PD, $200,000: Active-threat response gear and training. Wantage PD, $150,000: Radio communications upgrades and training. The $3.7 million funding includes previously announced upgrades: $500,000 for security upgrades at the Andover train station; $200,000 for a real-time intelligence platform in Newton; $30,000 for a thermal search-and-overwatch drone in Vernon, so officers can run night searches and respond to incidents safely; $50,000 for every police department in the Fifth District , including all of Sussex County, for counterterrorism training; This investment builds on Gottheimer’s years-long work to claw more federal dollars back to North Jersey from Washington. This year alone, he has secured roughly $21 million in Homeland Security grant funding across Bergen, Passaic, and Sussex Counties for law enforcement, first responders, and the houses of worship and nonprofits that need protection. Since coming to Congress, Gottheimer has helped increase the return of federal funds to the Fifth District by more than 357%, delivering an average savings of more than $750 for each household in the Fifth District. Gottheimer was joined by Newton Mayor Matthew Dickson, Sussex County Prosecutor Dan Perez, Sussex County Commissioners Alan