U.S. Rep Questions Why Memphis Terror Money Decreased

Dec. 17, 2004
With busiest cargo airport, many chemical plants and a major port, a great deal of infrastructure needs protection

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Jr. wants to know why homeland security funding is being cut from Memphis.

Ford asked outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge in a letter Wednesday to ``explain what changed in the past year to eliminate the threat of terror in Memphis.''

The cut of $8.2 million will affect funding for first responders in Shelby and surrounding counties as part of the Urban Area Security Initiative.

``Our first responders are relying on this money for training and to secure important equipment that will keep us safer,'' the Memphis Democrat said.

Ford said he hadn't received any notice of the program's cuts and is lobbying for Ridge to restore funding.

``Memphis is home to the busiest cargo airport in the world, numerous chemical plants and a major port,'' he said. ``Eliminating this funding while providing it to smaller cities that may be at less risk makes no sense.''

In his letter to Ridge, Ford pointed out Memphis was selected earlier this year as one of four pilot cities for the department's Regional Technology Integration Initiative because the area ``demonstrated a willingness and capacity to adopt advanced and innovative concepts for emergency preparedness and public safety.''

``Eliminating UASI funding will complicate our mission of testing, deploying and sharing innovative technologies to strengthen the security posture of our region and the nation,'' Ford wrote.

Ford said Emergency Management Agency officials told him they weren't able to acquire the data that went into the department's threat assessment.

Other cities losing their UASI funding include St. Paul, Minn.; Orlando, Fla.; Albany, N.Y.; and New Haven, Conn.

``I hope that if our local first responders do not have the classification level necessary to get a full explanation of your decision, that you would find alternative ways to explain what changed in the past year to eliminate the threat of terror in Memphis and the other cities,'' Ford wrote.

Ford said he wants to meet with homeland security officials and local emergency management agencies to discuss the potential cuts.