https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
    • Latest videos
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

Public Safety


What locals want

What locals want

The Sept. 11 attacks were not only the worst terrorist acts ever perpetrated against Americans. They also were a wake-up call for local governments, which,
  • Written by Janet Ward
  • 1st February 2002

The Sept. 11 attacks were not only the worst terrorist acts ever perpetrated against Americans. They also were a wake-up call for local governments, which, largely, had been leaving the matter of homeland security in federal hands. Sept. 11 changed everything.

Cities and counties reacted quickly, revamping budgets to reflect the new public safety concerns, redeploying their public safety personnel and undergoing sweeping reassessments of their emergency preparedness procedures. Miami took advantage of the heightened awareness of the importance of disaster planning to, somewhat disingenuously, recast a $255 million bond referendum designed to create greenspace and improve the city’s general quality of life as a referendum on “Homeland Defense/Neighborhood Improvement.” (It passed.)

Overall, however, local governments have been hard-pressed to respond financially to the Sept. 11 attacks. Cities and counties have scrambled to do their parts, from the obvious — shelling out thousands of dollars in overtime pay to public safety personnel — to the more subtle — stockpiling biohazard suits. Unfortunately for those cities and counties, Sept. 11 happened just as the national economy, which had soared along for more than a decade, tanked. The attacks exacerbated an already shaky financial picture, leaving local governments the Hobson’s Choice of cutting human services programs or underfunding their security programs.

In fact, a National League of Cities survey of 214 cities noted that cities anticipate overall revenues to decline as much as 4 percent over the next year, while, at the same time, they expect public safety spending to increase 1.5 percent. A survey conducted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors shortly after the attacks showed similar numbers.

Congress is attempting to soften the economic blow to local governments as they deal with issues of homeland security. The most popular legislation, from the local government point of view, is that proposed by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). That legislation would create a $3 billion Homeland Security Block Grant, with 70 percent of the money going directly to cities and counties with populations of more than 50,000. “The war is being fought on two fronts, and it needs to be funded on two fronts,” said Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley, co-chair of NLC’s Federal-Local Law Enforcement Task Force, in endorsing Clinton’s bill.

“Every city has different needs, and Sen. Clinton’s plan wisely gives communities broad discretion to use these funds as they see fit,” agreed New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial, president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

However, Clinton’s bill, which was co-sponsored by four Democrats, has little Republican support, and, consequently, is unlikely to become law. Three other bills, the Port and Maritime Security Act of 2001, the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Response Act of 2001, and the Water Security and Research Development Act, enjoy broader Congressional support (see page 28).

With Congress scheduled to take up those, as well as other, homeland security measures, local governments and the organizations representing them are gearing up for an unprecedented lobbying effort.

“The terrorism confronting our country may be international in its scope, but it is always local in its impact,” NLC President and Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer said at NLC’s December meeting. “When you dial 911, who do you reach? You don’t get the FBI. You don’t get FEMA or the Department of Defense or the Centers for Disease Control. You get a local government employee who dispatches local emergency personnel.”

With that in mind, American City & County asked Morial and National Association of Counties President Javier Gonzales to share their organizations’ wish lists with us.

Tags: Public Safety

Most Recent


  • Increase in emergency response time caused by insufficient staffing, traffic congestion
    The pandemic has detrimentally impacted cities and counties in a lot of different ways, including an increase in emergency response time in some cities—a symptom of challenges like congested streets and staffing shortages. In New Orleans, for example, a report from AH Analytics commissioned by the New Orleans City Council found it takes an average […]
  • Death toll continues to rise in Kentucky as more severe weather sweeps through the region
    Appalachia is underwater—at least 30 people have died in historic flooding that’s brought Kentucky to its knees for the second time in two years, following the devastating tornado that cut across the state in December. Severe weather is continuing to hit the region even as the death toll rises. “If things weren’t hard enough on […]
  • license plates
    Police adopt license plate readers at an accelerating pace
    Without a doubt, more law enforcement agencies are acquiring automated license plate reader cameras and technology (ALPR). Study producer Transparency Market Research (TMR) expects the global ALPR market to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 9 percent during the forecast period, 2020 to 2030. Much of the growth is linked to a rise […]
  • disabilities
    Key considerations for local governments seeking compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act
    The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that one-in-four adults in the Unites States are living with disability, and that number may still rise as our largest generation, the Baby Boomers, continue to age. Though the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is more than 30 years old, continuing to inventory and address the accessibility of […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • 10 reasons why local governments should outsource all IT: Post pandemic view
  • How governments can keep employees safe as they return to work
  • Preventing cyber-attacks needs to be a priority for local governments
  • Building community and officer wellness through data sharing

White papers


Modern American Perspectives on Law Enforcement

14th July 2022

Reimagine the Employee Experience

12th July 2022

How to Assemble a Rockstar Website Redesign Steering Committee

7th June 2022
view all

Events


PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

When spending federal stimulus dollars, local governments should consider long-term, community impact dlvr.it/SWXJWZ

12th August 2022
AmerCityCounty

In Nevada county, data underpins efforts to address climate change dlvr.it/SWTGHy

11th August 2022
AmerCityCounty

$52B semiconductor investment intended to rejuvenate American manufacturing dlvr.it/SWPqHQ

10th August 2022
AmerCityCounty

How capital improvement project prioritization helps secure infrastructure funding dlvr.it/SWLQB7

9th August 2022
AmerCityCounty

Climate bill lauded; predicted to reduce nation’s carbon foot print by 40% within decade dlvr.it/SWHGQL

8th August 2022
AmerCityCounty

Partnership launches no-cost wastewater monitoring service for local governments dlvr.it/SW7N74

5th August 2022
AmerCityCounty

Investing in America’s onsite wastewater treatment systems for equity and sustainability dlvr.it/SW4Mb9

4th August 2022
AmerCityCounty

With passage of PACT Act, veterans service officers are preparing for an influx in applicants dlvr.it/SW4KTg

4th August 2022

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2022 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X