Subways and buses remain vulnerable, House says
A report from the Democratic members of the House Homeland Security Committee finds that the department spends just 1 cent to protect bus and subway riders for every $9 it spends on security for air travelers –suggesting that the Department of Homeland Security is too focused on aviation security.
The report accuses the department and the Transportation Security Administration of failing to cooperate with state and local governments, The Washington Times reports.
The partnership among the layers of government “has long left state and local governments paying the check without really knowing what they are paying for and why,” the report says.
It also notes that the Washington D.C. Metro subway system had to wait 10 months to receive federal grants.
Metro spokeswoman Candace Smith told the newspaper that the report confirms the need for more protection for mass-transit systems. Deadly attacks in London, Madrid, Japan and the discovery of an al-Qaida plot to release poisonous gas in New York subways are examples of the threat, she says.
The transit agency has responded to the recent threats against transit systems by periodically boosting the presence of its police force and using security cameras on many buses.
