Anti-terrorism grants shrinking for cities at risk

By J.B. Wogan
Emergency Management

BOSTON — In the midst of last month’s manhunt to find the second suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing, Massachusetts police received a tip about a trail of blood leading to a resident’s covered boat. To confirm somebody was under the tarp, police used a thermal imaging device attached to a helicopter. Earlier, a network of surveillance cameras helped police identify the two brothers allegedly behind the April attack.

Both technologies are examples of equipment acquired by local law enforcement through federal homeland security grants. But in the current political and economic climate, these grants have shrunk and city leaders say a reform proposal by President Obama would endanger the biggest anti-terror funding source for cities.

Boston is the perfect example of how well these grants have paid off, according to Neil Bomberg, program director on human development and public safety at the National League of Cities. “Many of the special hardware that the city of Cambridge had, that the city of Boston had, were the result of federal grants in aid,” Bomberg said. 

Full Story: Anti-Terrorism Grants for Cities at Risk