Posted by The federal Department of Homeland Security secretary is in the city today discussing counterterrorism efforts and announcing a new funding package that will help pay for more police officers for the city’s transit system.
The announcement comes one day after the city learned it would not be getting an estimated $650 million in federal COPS funding.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says the $35 million grant comes from the Transit Security program. It would put more than 100 additional officers on city subways and buses.
Speaking at The Council On Foreign Relations on the Upper East Side this morning, Napolitano said the Department of Homeland Security is focused on fighting terrorism in a digital age. She highlighted the Mumbai terrorist attacks and how the organizers used GPS and other electronic devices to carry out the bombings.
Napolitano also said the agency is working to refocus counterterrorism efforts in order to make it a shared operation across federal and local agencies.
“The challenge is not just using federal power to protect the country, but also enlisting a broader societal response to the threat that terrorism poses,” she said.
