NCJ Number
205095
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 70 Issue: 2 Dated: February 2004 Pages: 23,26,27
Editor(s)
Charles E. Higginbotham
Date Published
February 2004
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article describes the features of programs as well as funding amounts that will be made available to State and local public safety agencies under grants to be funded in the Federal Homeland Security Department's fiscal year 2004 budget.
Abstract
The Homeland Security Department's fiscal year 2004 budget is $37.4 billion, of which just over $3.7 billion will be allotted for grants to State and local public safety agencies through the Federal Office for Domestic Preparedness. Funds will be made available to States to use in training officers, buying equipment, and conducting exercises; they may also be used to cover overtime costs associated with homeland security-related training. A total of $1.7 billion is available for such programs. The Urban Area Grants will be allocated through the States to urban areas selected by the Department of Homeland Security for enhancement of their ability to prevent, respond to, and recover from terrorism incidents. A total of $675 million is available for such programs. The Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program (LETPP) will provide law enforcement agencies with funds to upgrade their capabilities for sharing information that will assist in pre-empting terrorist attacks, to reduce the vulnerability of certain high-value targets, to recognize the potential development of a threat, to provide intervention before a threat can be realized, to enhance interoperability communications, and to assist in management and administration. A total of $500 million is allotted for these operations. The Department of Homeland Security has provided $50 million to States for mass transit security agencies to assist in upgrading the security of mass transit assets and passengers. A total of $40 million has been set aside for the Citizen Corps, which is the component of the USA Freedom Corps that provides opportunities for people across the Nation to participate in a range of measures to make their families, homes, and communities safer from the threats of terrorism, crime, and disasters of all kinds. Citizen Corps also brings together with its volunteer resources a community's first responders, firefighters, emergency health care providers, law enforcement, and emergency managers. A table shows the fiscal year 2004 allocations to each State/Territory for its State grant allocation, LETPP, and Citizen Corps. Another table shows allocations to each local entity for the Urban Area Grants and Metro Rail Transit Grants.