Since the FBI stopped Najibullah Zazi and his co-conspirators from carrying out a potential terrorist attack on the New York City subway system, New Yorkers have had to come to grips with the reality of a porous subway system. With hundreds of miles of track stretching throughout five boroughs and access that costs one swipe of a MetroCard, New York’s subways — just like those in London, Madrid and Moscow — is open and insecure. We might rely on a catchy slogan to keep straphangers on their collective toes, but securing the subways requires a massive interagency effort that involves paying attention to chatter while keeping a close eye on the goings-on underground.
As the MTA has adjusted to life in post-9/11 New York City, its own security measures have been halting. A plan to equip every station with security cameras has been plagued with massive budget overruns. It’s beyond schedule and now the subject of a legal fight between Lockheed Martin and the MTA. Still, as the authority has promised to get some camera system online this year, the agency needs all of the support it can get from the federal government.
With that in mind, then, it’s dismaying to read that, due to the fact that the Department of Homeland Security has been forced to cut back its grants this year, New York City will be receiving fewer DHS dollars for security measures. According to numerous reports that cite a courtesy memo distributed to lawmakers this week, DHS is cutting its grants to New York City’s mass transit security fund from $153 million to $111 million. No one is happy.
“For the administration to announce these cuts two weeks after the attempted Times Square bombing shows they just don’t get it and are not doing right by New York City on anti-terrorism funding,” Chuck Schumer, New York’s senior senator, said.
Although lawmakers and New York officials have known since late last year that cuts would be forthcoming, both the timing — President Obama is due into the city later today — and the 27 percent reductions could not be worse. “We are hoping for substantial additional money from the feds to help protect our mass-transit system,” Mitchell Pally, a member of the MTA Board, said to the Wall Street Journal. “Any reduction is a concern, especially in these days when we don’t have enough money to begin with.”
Department of Homeland Security officials were quick to defend the cuts. New York City alone, they say, receives 11 percent of DHS funding, and the city took in $457 million in DHS grants last year. “DHS is actively engaged in supporting New York City’s first responders and overall preparedness for acts of terrorism and other disasters through an array of grant programs,” Matthew Chandler, a DHS spokesman who blamed congressional budget cuts for the reduction, said.
With the averted Times Square bombing fresh in the minds of city residents, New Yorkers can’t be too pleased with the news and for good reason. The New York City subways carry the bulk of the nation’s public transit riders, and although we hate to admit it, the infrastructure remains an appealing target for any potential attack. Even as New York remains vulnerable, we should learn our lessons from Europe, and DHS should ensure that transit security funding is not scaled back.
9 comments
[…] Security Cuts Transit Safety Aid to NYC (SAS, […]
Democrats weak on national security as usual.
I seem to recall planes flying into buildings… what party was in power then?
yes e. aron, i was trying to think … and they later forgot they were in power … um … (http://www.politicususa.com/en/GOP-9-11-Lies)
Of course no one is happy when money is cut, but for common people like us (or me, anyway), the number is meaningless. If we heard “New York is getting $111 million of federal funds for security”, without hearing the earlier number, what would we say: thank you? it’s not enough? If it’s not enough, how much IS enough? The truth is, I have no idea how much money is needed – but of course I’ll say “the more, the better”. Any number that’s offered, I’d ask for more, and so would anyone else.
Part of me thinks that if the smoking SUV was discovered by a highly-sophisticated, highly-technical, iron-ring surveillance team, that we might be getting more money. But as long as guys selling T-Shirts for $5 a pop are doing the surveillance for nothing, that sends the message that we don’t need such an advanced system.
James: wrong as usual. As Mike Allen of Politico reported this morning, the numbers widely cited in the media are DHS numbers alone, and do not take into account that some of DHS’ line items were consumed by the Stimulus Plan.
“NICK SHAPIRO, assistant White House press secretary, on Homeland Security funding for NYC port and transit security: “When all federal funding is totaled, NYC has received a net increase of $47 million for port and transit security over the previous year’s budget, the last signed into law by the Bush Administration. Those who suggest otherwise are not counting the more than $100 million in port and transit security grants for NYC from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. With that money, the total for NYC will be $245 million, more than $47 million than what was allotted by the Bush Administration in the previous year. In fact, one out of every three recovery dollars for transit and port security went to NYC, making them the largest recipient in the country.””
So, let’s start right here at SAS and get the numbers straight: NYC was earmarked for $47 million MORE in security funding than last year. When the Stimulus runs out, DHS will pick up the slack. This is a non-story.
Known targets (us, DC, etc.) should receive that vast majority of the funds, and some petting zoo in Iowa I think it was should receive nada! Getting 11% of the available funds is a joke.
That’s right, Jackson Hole, Wyoming is very likely on no terrorist’s short list of targets, yet for some reason, there’s money going to places like, well, Wyoming.
Does this mean there will be less cops hanging out in the subway “randomly inspecting bags” They don’t make me fell any safer.