Vegas gets $3 million boost in homeland security grant
WASHINGTON — Southern Nevada will receive $3 million from the federal government to guard against terrorism, a three-fold increase over last year and a boost to local homeland security.
Las Vegas was among 28 cities that will split $587 million in grants under the 2015 Urban Area Security Initiative program, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
At the same time, the department announced Nevada will get $3.7 million under a separate grant for state-level preparedness efforts against terrorism and other catastrophes.
Every state received the broader grants. But the so-called UASI grants are watched closely as they are based on an assessment of the relative terror risk facing individual cities — and they also are valued as federal largesse.
The announcement Thursday was expected to set off a scramble since the number of cities receiving money was cut from 39 last year. Among those dropped were Sacramento, Calif.; Indianapolis; New Orleans and Kansas City, Mo.
Counting the latest allocation, Las Vegas will have received $72.8 million in urban security grants since the program was established in 2003 following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Among other projects, the money helped establish the Southern Nevada Counter-Terrorism Center , a one-stop shop at the Metropolitan Police Department for the region’s preparedness.
The allotments for Las Vegas have fluctuated in recent years.
In 2013 the city was left off the list. Last year Las Vegas received $1 million following torrid lobbying by state and Las Vegas officials, and a provision added to an appropriations bill by Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., that removed a cap on cities that could qualify.
“For the past few years I have made sure the Department of Homeland Security recognizes how critical these UASI funds are in order to protect our community and tourists and prepare local law enforcement in the event of an emergency,” Reid said Thursday.
A spokesman with the Department of Homeland Security said Las Vegas is getting more this year not because of any change in the city’s risk assessment but because there are fewer cities to divide the same pot of money as last year.
Nevada officials and the Las Vegas resort industry argue the agency perennially underestimates the potential terrorism risk to Las Vegas, whose economy is highly dependent on its ability to attract close to 40 million visitors annually.
As well, it remains a mystery why five of the Sept. 11 hijackers visited Las Vegas multiple times between May and August of 2000, just before the deadly attacks.
“If a terror attack were to occur in Las Vegas, tourism to the state would be devastated beyond repair,” Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson was told in the most recent appeal sent in February by Sen. Dean Heller and Reps. Joe Heck and Cresent Hardy, all R-Nev.
“I am pleased Las Vegas received an increase in funding better reflecting the impact a terrorist attack would have on the city,” Heller said Thursday. Heck said local law enforcers “will receive the resources they need to keep Southern Nevadans and our millions of visitors safe.”
Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., said she’ll take the $3 million but the agency needs to do more work “to improve their funding formulas to better evaluate the unique nature of tourist destination cities like Las Vegas.”
Sara Rayme, senior vice president for public affairs for the American Gaming Association, said $3 million “is a step in the right direction in protecting ‘America’s entertainment capital.’”
The Urban Area Working Group, which has representatives from throughout Southern Nevada, will meet April 13 to start deciding how to spend the $3 million. Presentations from local agencies will come at subsequent meetings.
The anti-terrorism funding is available for three years, giving local officials more flexibility to plan and carry out their projects, said Irene Navis, planning coordinator for Clark County’s Office of Emergency Management.
Among other cities, Denver; Honolulu; Tampa, Fla.; Riverside, Calif.; Charlotte, N.C.; Portland, Ore.; and Pittsburgh received $3 million apiece.
Atlanta; Miami; Phoenix; Anaheim/Santa Ana, Calif.; Baltimore; Detroit; Seattle and Minneapolis/St. Paul received $5.5 million each.
New York received the most, $181 million. Los Angeles and Chicago got $69.5 million apiece
Review-Journal writer Ben Botkin contributed to this report. Contact Review-Journal Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@reviewjournal.com or 202-783-1760. Find him on Twitter: @STetreaultDC