Dollars and Sensors for Homeland Security
New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly is calling on federal legislators to fully fund the Homeland Security Department’s pilot program, Securing the Cities, to guard against a nuclear or radiological attack.
The program would establish a ring of radiological detectors on bridges, highways, and tunnels leading into New York City, within an approximately 50-mile range.
Police officials from several states have united to lobby Congress for the $40 million needed to finance the project, which was developed in response to the 2005 London terror strikes. The London plot originated 180 miles north of London, in Leeds, illustrating the “regional aspect of the terrorist threat,” said Kelly, and inspiring a more regional approach to security in the United States.
In addition to the proposed Securing the Cities program, New York has joined forces with Baltimore, Buffalo, and other jurisdictions along the East Coast to identify threats before they reach the city.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) from Newsday (06/14/07); Eisenberg, Carol.
