Homeland Security Funding

Homeland Security Funding

Resolution

WHEREAS, the approximately 740,000 law enforcement officers in local and state agencies have the best knowledge of and access to their communities, and those communities are turning to their local agencies for guidance and protection more than ever; and

WHEREAS, local law enforcement is the first to be called upon to respond to any emergency or critical incident; and

WHEREAS, because of their daily interaction with the community, local law enforcement has access to local information and grassroots intelligence that is an invaluable resource in the fight against terrorism; and

WHEREAS, demands on specialized training (interrogation techniques, recognition of terrorist threats, federal immigration law, immigration documentation, response to critical incidents, response to biological, chemical or nuclear terrorism), specialized equipment (protective clothing, isolation equipment, electronic surveillance and security equipment), and drastically increased manpower requirements, continue to take their toll on already stretched law enforcement budgets; and

WHEREAS, the over 19,000 members of the International Association of Chiefs of Police are concerned that while the federal government is proposing greatly increased funding for Homeland Security programs, federal intelligence programs, and additional increases for federal agencies, the local and state agencies will be left with dwindling resources in their daily response to local community requirements, including those caused by increased threats and fears from terrorism; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police, duly assembled at its 109th Annual Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, strongly recommends that the Bush Administration reconsider the funding levels that have been reduced for local agencies, such as universal hiring programs, Byrne Grants, COPS Programs and others. We urge the administration to continue these programs, or reconfigure the funding for local agencies with the recognition that these agencies are truly on the front line of the war against terrorism.

Resolution
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