LA area gets nearly $55 million Homeland Security grant

Xinhua General News Service

LOS ANGELES — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has earmarked nearly 55 million dollars for Los Angeles and Long Beach to help improve security in the two cities, it was announced on Monday.

The Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant from the DHS actually totaled nearly 70 million dollars, with 20 percent set aside for the state of California.

The UASI grant for Los Angeles and Long Beach was the largest in California this year, and the second largest in the nation. The region has received more than 400 million dollars from the UASI grant since 2003.

More than 800 million dollars in UASI grants were up for grabs this year.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said the money will be used to improve the intelligence gathering and communications capability of law enforcement and emergency personnel.

"Unfortunately, we live in a period where being caught off- guard is no longer an option," he said. "The future of our city and our region hangs on our ability to prepare for and respond to an emergency."

Villaraigosa's Office of Homeland Security and Public Safety, which will manage the grant, said the money would be spent on a variety of programs and projects, including a Joint Hazard Assessment Team and Joint Terrorism Task Force; automated license plate reader systems; digital forensic lab network; satellite radio communications system; and hazardous materials training.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca said a portion of the grant will fund the Los Angeles Regional Interoperability Communications System, which will connect the county's 43 police departments and 30 fire departments, hospitals and medical services organizations, and other agencies that may be called upon during a terrorist attack or catastrophe.

"We are safer now than we were nine years ago, but more has to be done, much more has to be done," Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster said in reference to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

With a focus on enhancing regional preparedness in major metropolitan areas, the UASI program is aimed at expanding regional collaboration for prevention, protection, response and recovery, according to the Department of Homeland Security website.

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