Homeland Security News Wire April 11, 2012
DHS Cuts Grants To States, Emphasizes Maintenance
Over the past few years, DHS has been cutting funding for grants to state and emergency response agencies; the billions of dollars given to states after 2011 have been used to buy many pieces of first-response and law-enforcement equipment, and DHS now emphasizes the maintenance of that equipment.
Over the past few years, DHS has been cutting funding for grants to state and emergency response agencies. The budget for fiscal year 2012 intended for state and local grants has been reduced to $2,374,681,000. This is a cut of $846,177,830 from the FY 2011 budget of $3,220,858,830. Similar levels of reductions have been imposed by state governments.
These cuts impose difficulties for states and municipalities that have come to rely on these grants for equipment acquisition, upgrade, and maintenance.
The Tennesseean reports on the impact in one such state, Tennessee.
DHS had granted $192 million to Tennessee for fighting terrorism, and the money was used for the acquisition of r remote-controlled bomb-handling robots; special equipment for collapsed building rescues; high-tech surveillance cameras; all sorts of boots, masks, and body armor; and food for police dogs. There was even a training seminar about how to apply for more money.