GovernmentExecutive.com

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced Friday his department is fine-tuning how it will distribute almost $1.7 billion in homeland security grants to states and urban areas.

The department plans to award the grants this summer under five programs, the largest of which are the urban areas security initiative and the state homeland security grant program. The department came under heated congressional fire last year when it cut urban area funding to the New York City and Washington, D.C., regions by about 40 percent.

In the months that followed, the department's chief of grants and training quit and officials re-worked the grants process. Chertoff acknowledged late last year that the department was too focused on "bean counting" and pledged to make changes.

"The bottom line is that this is not just about mathematics and getting a lot of statistics and doing a lot of mathematical operations," Chertoff said Friday. "It's about keeping sight of the big picture. And the big picture is worrying about how do we protect the most people from the greatest risks most of the time. This year's guidance, hopefully, provides greater transparency and better justification to the American people."

Under the revamped process, Homeland Security will work with grant applicants to fine-tune their funding requests.

"By getting the grant guidance out early in the year, we're going to have the opportunity to work with communities, based on their submissions, to have a back-and-forth or a give-and-take to allow them to make revisions so that they can maximize the use to which they put the funds that they may be receiving under these programs," Chertoff said.

Another change would allow the highest-risk urban areas to use up to 25 percent of urban areas security initiative grants to cover personnel costs related to counterterrorism. But like last year, grant applications will be reviewed by more than 100 national experts on homeland security drawn from federal agencies and state and local communities.

In total, the department plans to allocate about $750 million under the UASI program, which is slightly more than last year, and about $510 million under the state homeland security grant program, which is slightly less than last year. The department will also allocate about $365 million under the law enforcement terrorism prevention program; $32 million under the metropolitan medical response system program; and $14 million under the Citizen Corps program.

COMMENTS

• We get bashed in the head because ICE is a joke, and has been ever since it's illogical and unnecessary creation in 2003. When I went to a local PD for information on a case, I had the desk lieutenant tell me to "come back when you get a real badge". He was kidding, but the point was made. Funny how that never happened to me in over 20 years as a Customs special agent! GovExec.com reader Posted March 4, 2007 11:57 PM
• Sorry, Charlie (retired military), but I respectfully disagree with you. The real corruption out of the 9/11 funds was from the politicians representing the small, non-target areas of this country (i.e. Middle America). What a great chance to get a new fire truck, or fix the cow pasture gate. While I respect all Americans equally, this was wrong, and now perhaps it can be fixed. Actually, these folks are lucky to be living where they are, fewer people, less pollution, and, most importantly, no strategic targets for the terrorists to hit! All they have to worry about is Mother Nature and a few homegrown crazies in the hills with guns! GovExec.com reader Posted January 10, 2007 9:47 AM
• One criterion that should be added is that the locality receiving the funds should then show a bit more respect to the hand that’s feeding them. In a recent media article, a member of the NYPD stated that a street cop was likely to get some sort of intelligence before Homeland Security officials. ICE agents have reported being confronted by local police and on at least one occasion, and issued a ticket while on duty. ICE agents are well aware that our badges do not fully identify the agency we work for (a problem that ICE agents pointed out when the new badges were issued) and look fake. It seems that local authorities want all the funding they can get from us, but don't seem to want to work with us, or let us work with them, when it comes to protecting our homeland. It seems like we keep giving out the money, then get bashed over the head in the media and out in the field. S/A ICE/New York GovExec.com reader Posted January 11, 2007 6:35 PM