Mayor Hahn Accepts New Homeland Security Funds For Port; Calls For More Federal Funding To Meet Protection Needs September 13, 2004

Los Angeles - Mayor Hahn announced today that an almost $300,000 grant for communications equipment at the Port of Los Angeles will help ensure that different emergency agencies will be able to communicate during a major emergency. But Mayor Hahn cautioned that the federal government must do more to make the Port as secure as it can be.

“We were reminded all too terribly on September 11 that instant communication and information exchange is vital during a major emergency,” Mayor Hahn said, referring to reports that the New York City fire and police departments were unable to communicate with each other during the moments before the Twin Towers collapsed and killed hundreds of first responders.

“The City of Los Angeles has acted on our own to dramatically increase Port security, but we need more federal funding to ensure the Port is as safe as it can be. Los Angeles is a target rich environment, but is not rich when it comes to homeland security funding. Homeland security funding should be allocated based on threat-level, and Los Angeles is more at risk than Cheyenne.”

Mayor Hahn cited that Wyoming receives $61 per capita in homeland security funding while California receives less than $14 in calling upon the federal government to direct more security funding to Los Angeles.

Mayor Hahn’s Criminal Justice Planning Office secured the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Port Security Grant. The Office’s mission is to earn public safety grants for the city, allowing needed safety and security improvements to be made with minimal impact on the general fund. In 2003, the office earned $70 million for the city, double the amount compared with the previous year. This year, the office is projected to earn $83 million for the city. At the end of 2003, the office had $268 million in grant funds under administration.

The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach comprise the nation’s busiest and the world’s third-largest port complex, with 43 percent of the United States’ waterborne cargo flowing through it each year. The value of two-way trade through the port complex was almost $215 billion in 2002. It is estimated that an attack on the ports could impact the U.S. economy by $1-2 billion a day.

Mayor Hahn has overseen significant security improvements at the Port of Los Angeles since September 11:

	Ships must notify the Port that they are inbound 96 hours before arrival, allowing security and intelligence staff to assess the ship.
	The Coast Guard and Los Angeles Port Police Sea Marshals board every cruise ship and selected container ships.
	New, mobile radiation detection equipment that we use to screen suspect containers.
	Mayor Hahn is working to increase participation in Operation Safe Commerce, which ensures the safe and secure transit of shipping containers from point of origin to the final point of destination. Mayor Hahn traveled to Hong Kong and secured its port’s participation in this program.
	Mayor Hahn installed new leadership at the LAPD that maintains close contact with state, federal and foreign security agencies and implemented a counterterrorism bureau.
	Mayor Hahn’s Office joined with more than 50 local, state and federal agencies in a major exercise simulating a “dirty bomb” explosion at the Port last month.

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