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U.S.
Senator Member of the Agriculture, Energy and Veterans Affairs
Committees |
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For Immediate
Release March 30, 2005 |
CONTACT: Cody Wertz – Press Secretary 202-228-3630 Jen Clanahan – Deputy Press Secretary 303-455-7600 |
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| SALAZAR CALLS ON DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TO INCLUDE STATE AND LOCAL PERSPECTIVES DURING REVIEW WASHINGTON, DC – United States Senator Ken Salazar today called on Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to give state and local emergency officials a seat at the table as Chertoff makes plans to reorganize the department. In a letter to Secretary Chertoff, Salazar noted that too often the Department of Homeland Security dictates major policy changes without consulting state and local law enforcement officials who represent 95 percent of America’s counterterrorism capability. “I would like you to make sure that, as you conduct your review, one of your primary goals is to ensure that state and local emergency officials have a seat at the table,” Senator Salazar noted in his letter to Secretary Chertoff. “State and local officials are your best partners in fighting terrorism.” Senator Salazar also asked Secretary Chertoff for an update on the status of the development of information sharing procedures between federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as an update on specific steps DHS has taken to establish guidelines and training courses to assist state and local governments in handling sensitive non-federal information. Colorado officials have recently struggled over what homeland security information to keep classified and what to release to the public.
Dear Secretary Chertoff: I commend you on the comprehensive review of the Department of Homeland Security that you have ordered. I share your belief that we are living in a new threat environment, and that traditional jurisdictions and organizational structures should not stand in the way of enhanced homeland security. As you prepare to conduct this review, I want to share with you a general principle and some specific concerns that I am hopeful you can address. The general principle is the inclusion of state and local officials in decisions that will impact them. This has been a problem in the past. DHS has changed formulas, established new procedures and developed new programs with little input from state and local officials. State and local emergency officials represent more than 800,000 sworn law enforcement officers and 95 percent of America’s counterterrorism capability. They are on the front lines of the war on terror. They have an enormous stake in the decisions that DHS makes, yet there are very few formal avenues for them to shape DHS policy. Past experience has shown that collaborative homeland security policy making that includes diverse stakeholders has been more successful than unilateral approaches. I would like you to make sure that, as you conduct your review, one of your primary goals is to ensure that state and local emergency officials have a seat at the table. State and local officials are your best partners in fighting terrorism. It is vital that they be included in the highest levels of decision-making in a formal, consistent manner. Specifically, local officials should have direct input about decisions regarding intelligence sharing, grants formulas and management, and regional coordination of emergency response. I look forward to hearing from you about what steps you can take administratively to ensure state and local participation and what you need from Congress to make this goal a reality. There are some specific areas that I would like to address as well. First, as you know, President Bush has tasked the Director of Homeland Security to develop information sharing procedures under Section 892 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002. These procedures have been expected for some time and would greatly facilitate antiterrorism information sharing between the federal government and state and local agencies. What is the status of the drafting of those procedures? What steps are being taken to ensure that state and local officials can participate in this drafting process? What procedures do you envision to make sure that the federal government can (1) integrate intelligence gathered by state and local law enforcement departments, and (2) share vital information it gathers with local officials. Second, I understand there are few uniform standards for non-federal agencies to handle sensitive homeland security information. While there are detailed procedures for handling classified documents created by the federal government, there is little real-world guidance for how to make decisions about how to manage information from non-federal sources. What steps has DHS taken to establish guidelines and training courses to assist state and local governments in handling sensitive non-federal information? What sort of instructions does DHS give to state and local officials about how to manage information about homeland security grants? Please let me know if this is something you could improve with administrative measures or whether legislation is required. I thank you in advance for taking the time to answer these questions and address these concerns. I look forward to a long and productive relationship with you to make sure DHS has the resources it needs to accomplish its mission. Sincerely, Ken Salazar
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