Washington, DC – Senate Democrats, including Senator Mark Dayton, hosted a Homeland Security Summit today to discuss the state of the nation’s disaster preparedness in local communities. Robert Bushman, President of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, and Gary Cayo, President of the Minnesota Fraternal Order of Police, were among the first responders who joined lawmakers and policy experts, to discuss what is needed to protect communities from terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and daily crime.

“First responders in Minnesota and across the country are struggling to do more with fewer resources,” said Dayton. “Congress and this Administration need to do more than just provide rhetoric on homeland security. They need to put the resources behind it.”

Congress and the Bush Administration have failed to implement or fully fund many of the security recommendations of the nonpartisan 9-11 Commission. As a result, many first responders lack essential equipment and training; U.S. borders and ports are not secured; and there is still too little coordination between local, state, and federal agencies.

“Cuts in these federal grants put our hometown security at risk,” said Bushman, who was invited by Dayton, along with Cayo, to participate in the summit. “These cuts have a serious impact on how Minnesota law enforcement responds to local issues as they work to protect our communities.”

For example, Minnesota’s “interoperability project,” which would allow all of the state’s first responder agencies to easily talk to one another during times of disaster, is only half complete. Part of the challenge, Bushman said, is securing funding from local, state and federal resources. They need another $200 million. Unfortunately, President Bush’s 2007 budget fails to help, because it eliminates federal funding for grants that help pay for the equipment to make these agencies interoperable. This is despite the fact that the inability of first responders from different agencies to talk to one another was a key factor in the deaths of at least 121 firefighters on 9/11.

The President’s budget also comes close to eliminating other key federal law enforcement grants, which are a lifeline for local agencies. The Byrne/Justice Assistance Grant program, which assists local police in fighting the scourge of methamphetamine and other drugs, is among those gouged in the Administration’s budget. Earlier this year, the Senate unanimously approved a Dayton-Chambliss (R-GA) amendment to the 2007 budget resolution to restore full funding for the program. Dayton said he will continue to fight for Byrne funding and other critical resources for Minnesota law enforcement through the end of his term.

###