Fewer homeland security dollars will land locally

~ Money will be distributed more on a regional basis, which will likely encourage cooperation.

Local police and fire departments can expect to see a change in the Homeland Security Grant process for the current fiscal year.

Agency funding for local departments through Homeland Security programs has been cut from $2.5 billion in the previous fiscal year to the current $1.7 billion, a roughly 50 percent decrease. Funds that are available will now be dispersed on a regional level, with several cities and counties banding together as grant recipients. The new formula for disbursement was implemented in response to an "F" grade given to the Department of Homeland Security by the 911 Commission for the way funds have been distributed in the past.

Federal legislators hope the new regional disbursement of funds will put Homeland Security equipment and training dollars in the hands of the most at-risk areas and departments sorely in need of equipment and training.

Local public safety administrators have mixed feelings about how the changes will impact them.

Jackson Fire Chief Brad Golden said the new formula should help ensure those departments that have been largely left out of Homeland Security dollars can get what they need. New provisions could also help in coordination of regional response to terrorism or disasters, Golden said.

Last year both Cape Girardeau and Jackson received hundreds of thousands in funds to upgrade equipment and train personnel, both police and fire.

"The good thing is this will cause regionalization and fill in gaps that didn't get funds in the first place," said Golden.

Some smaller departments are more reliant on grant funding for their equipment upgrades. Scott City Police Chief Don Cobb said that any reduction in funding will force his department to look elsewhere for needed funds.

Last year Scott City received 16 new state-of-the-art radios which cost about $1,200 a piece, something the city budget couldn't have supported. Homeland Security and other grants make up about $90,000 of his department's roughly $750,000 yearly budget, Cobb said.

"This money has been a great option for smaller departments," Cobb said.

Departments like his haven't necessarily become dependent on the funding, Cobb said.

"You can't supplant your own funds with these grants because you don't know if they'll be available," Cobb said. "They typically just increase your capabilities."

Given the prevalence of grant money in Scott City's budget, Cobb is more concerned about the reduction in funding in the Local Law Enforcement Block Grants and Justice Assistance Grants -- two federal programs where funding has been combined and reduced.

Still unclear is just how much money Missouri will receive from Homeland Security and who those funds will go to.

Susie Stonner with the State Emergency Management Agency said the only guarantee is that this year's market for the grants will be much more competitive.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182