| (Washington D.C.)- Resident Commissioner, Luis G. Fortuño, announced obtaining funds for public security projects in different municipalities in Puerto Rico. The authorization of funds was included in the report accompanying the bill “Law for Assigning of funds for Science, State, Justice and Commerce for Fiscal Year 2007”, which was approved yesterday in the House of Representatives Appropiations Committee. The bill provides $100 million dollars for de development of technology and automatic systems, under the COPS program of the Federal Justice Department. The bill instructs the Federal Justice Department to give priority to the fund requests by the Municipalities of Arroyo, Luquillo, Manatí and Río Grande. The funds would be used to the acquisition of police equipment, bullet proof vests and others. The funds would be given to the municipalities as long as they comply with the requisites established by the federal agency.
The legislation also includes the authorization of funds for the development of an interoperability telecommunications system for national security in the southern area that includes the municipalities of Ponce, Guánica, Guayanilla, Juana Díaz, Peñuelas, Santa Isabel, Villalba y Yauco. “At times when we see the criminal activity infiltrating in every sector of the Island, it is essential to prepare our municipalities with the necessary equipment to fight accordingly” expressed Fortuño as he celebrated the assigning of funds directly to the municipalities.
The resident commissioner established his “obligation with the strengthening of national security at a municipal level”, and that he is at the service of the mentioned municipalities for support in the application for funding process. “I am going to work very closely with the mayors to make sure that the funds are appropriated in the next Fiscal Year” said Fortuño.
Finally, the resident commissioner highlighted the recommendation of $26 million dollars for Coral Reef Programs that include the continuation of the Puerto Rico and Florida program. In the bill, the Committee requests that NOAA continues to offer support to the Departments of Defense, Interior and the Environment Protection Administration in their efforts in the environmental clean up of the municipality of Vieques.
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