DHS allocates $700 million for urban security

Thirty major U.S. cities will receive $500 million in homeland security formula grants, the Department of Homeland Security announced last week.

The funds are for activities during the heightened alert level from January through April as well as critical infrastructure security, training, exercises, equipment and information sharing, the department said.

An additional $200 million will go for related grants for purposes ranging from port and mass transit security to pilot projects and radiological defense systems.

Seven cities on the list have previously received federal funding for homeland security. They are Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington.

Among the cities receiving funds for the first time are Baltimore, Boston, Cleveland, Denver, Dallas, Detroit, Miami, New Orleans, St. Louis, Pittsburgh and San Diego.

The cities were selected to receive funds based on a formula developed by DHS that takes into account threat information, critical infrastructure vulnerability and population density.

The funds will flow through the states to the cities, their contiguous counties and mutual-aid partners, the department said.

DHS also will provide $75 million in port security grants, $65 million for mass transit security, $35 million for radiological defense systems, $15 million for pilot projects and $10 million for technical assistance to state and local jurisdictions.