Posted by Governor's Office on 14:37:03 01/07/05
NEWS RELEASE
Acting Governor Richard J. Codey
Date: January 6, 2005
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Kelley Heck 609-777-2600
CODEY OPTIMISTIC AFTER MEETING WITH HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICIALS
(WASHINGTON, DC) Acting Governor Richard J. Codey expressed satisfaction today after a positive meeting with representatives of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the members of New Jersey's Congressional delegation.
After the meeting, Codey said:
"Today's meeting was a useful one. We made our very strong case about New Jersey's homeland security needs. We weren't reserved."
"The Department of Homeland Security has offered to put together a technical working group that will be comprised of New Jersey State law enforcement officials from the Attorney General's Office and the Office of Counter-Terrorism; staff from our Congressional delegation; and U.S. Homeland Security staff to review the differences between DHS's assessment of New Jersey's vulnerabilities and what we know to be the case. That group will convene in Washington before the end of the month.
"The Department of Homeland Security still has some discretionary funds that are yet to be distributed, and I expect that we're going to get a significant piece of these funds. We don't have a commitment but based on our presentation today we shouldn't be denied.
"New Jersey wants and deserves its fair share. This is not just an issue of protecting New Jersey. Given all of our assets and critical infrastructure, it's about protecting all of America.
"We're going to stay on top of this. We will not quit. The people of New Jersey should know that New Jersey's State and Federal officials, Republicans and Democrats alike, are united on this. Collectively we will not quit until the Department of Homeland Security recognizes the need we have and does something about it."
Today's meeting was organized by Rep. Christopher Smith, after Codey called State and national attention to the Homeland Security Department's latest funding cuts to Newark and Jersey City.
From the Department of Homeland Security, Under Secretary Asa Hutchinson and Office of Domestic Preparedness DirSue Mencer attended the meeting.
Also representing New Jersey and the Codey Administration were State Attorney General Peter C. Harvey; State Police Superintendent Col. Rick Fuentes; and Sidney J. Caspersen, Director of the State Office of Counter-Terrorism.
The meeting, held in the House Cannon Office Building this morning, had a twofold purpose:
Codey asked Under Secretary Hutchinson and Director Mencer to explain why the Department of Homeland Security decided to cut funds to New Jersey in Fiscal 2005.
And Attorney General Harvey, Superintendent Fuentes and Director Caspersen laid out in detail specific threats, factors and potential targets that place New Jersey and the Newark / Jersey City region uniquely on the front lines of the war against terrorism.
The Federal funding discussed at today's meeting is from the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) program, which provides homeland security funds to cities based on specific risk-related criteria.
Nationwide in 2005, the Federal government increased UASI funds by 24 percent. But New Jersey's UASI funds were cut by 40 percent including a 17 percent cut to Newark and a 60 percent cut to Jersey City.
These cuts to Newark and Jersey City were made despite the following facts:
· The section of New Jersey that benefits from UASI funds contains what U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie in May 2004 called the most dangerous two miles in America. Attorney Christie said: "If a terrorist were to set off a radiological, nuclear or biological device in those two miles, all rail traffic between the northern part of the United States and the southern part of the United States would cease to operate," other critical sites would be at risk, and "hundreds of thousands if not millions of people" would be in danger.
· From August to November 2004, the Newark / Jersey City UASI region, including six surrounding North Jersey counties, was placed on Orange Alert along with Washington, D.C. and New York City. It was learned that al Qaeda operatives had been conducting surveillance in Newark.
· New Jersey includes America's third largest port; the third largest statewide mass transit system; an international airport; one of the largest financial centers; the fifth largest oil refinery capacity; a large concentration of chemical and pharmaceutical plants; and the highest population density in the United States.
· UASI funding is distributed to cities based on five criteria: Threat index; law enforcement activity; number of critical infrastructure sites; mutual aid agreements; and population and population density. All of these criteria apply to Newark and Jersey City, and their surrounding region.
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Photos and audio and video clips from Acting Governor Codey's public events are available in the Acting Governor's Newsroom section on the State of New Jersey web page, http://www.nj.gov/gov_newsroom.html
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