FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Nearly 400 faith, public safety and community leaders gathered at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough on Thursday for a seminar on protecting houses of worship from threats, the Massachusetts State Police said.

The eighth annual Faith-Based Organizations Safety & Security Seminar was organized by the State Police and the Commonwealth Fusion Center, the state's intelligence-sharing hub, and was hosted by the Kraft family at the stadium's Sports Illustrated Pavilion. State Police said the program grew out of Gov. Maura Healey's effort to prevent hate crimes and support organizations that provide space for worship and social services.

The keynote speaker was Seamus Hughes of the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center. He and other speakers covered disinformation trends, cybersecurity threats, security at special events and grants that nonprofits can use to improve physical security, according to the State Police. State Police Col. Geoffrey Noble also spoke to attendees.

State Police said the seminar adds to the help that the Fusion Center and the State Police Hate Crimes Awareness Response Team give religious and community groups throughout the year. The team, created by the Healey administration in November 2023, issues security bulletins on threat trends, visits sites, offers resources and helps with investigations, the agency said. Fusion Center staff also carried out security assessments at faith-based partner locations.

The Healey administration has awarded $8.4 million in state and federal grant money for nonprofit security to date, according to the release. The grants are managed by the Office of Grants and Research within the state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security and go to organizations at risk of hate crimes or terrorist attacks.

State Police asked that hate crimes and hate incidents be reported to local police. Groups seeking money for security projects or security staff can apply through the Office of Grants and Research to the Federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program, the Commonwealth Nonprofit Security Grant Program or the Commonwealth Nonprofit Security Personnel Grant Program.

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