NJ gets share of $64M for security

NJ gets share of $64M for security

	Published : Thu, 16 Aug 2007 22:57 By : Agencies Print this Story

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - New Jersey will get a share of nearly $64.2 million in U.S. Homeland Security funds aimed at securing mass transit and ports in the New York and Philadelphia metropolitan regions, state officials announced Thursday.

'The funds will help continue efforts with our regional partners to improve security for hundreds of thousands of commuters,' said Richard L. Canas, state Homeland Security and Preparedness director.

The exact amount going to New Jersey, which has yet to be determined, is in addition to a Homeland Security grant of more than $61 million announced last month. That money, directed toward New Jersey police, fire and emergency personnel, is a sizable increase from last year's $52 million anti-terrorism allotment.

In the latest disbursement, New Jersey will get a portion of about $37.2 million being divided for mass transit protection. NJ Transit, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority are among the agencies eligible for grants.

Also eligible are regional systems in Westchester County, N.Y., and Connecticut.

That money is in addition to $61 million already awarded to the three states for mass transit security in the coming year.

The latest grant includes $14.9 million in port security grants that is being directed to the northern New Jersey-New York City area. It comes in addition to $27.3 million already announced for the region.

New Jersey is also getting a share of an additional $5.9 million in transit security grants in the Philadelphia area and part of nearly $6.2 million in port security grants for the ports around the Delaware Bay.

Those sums are in addition to the more than $9.7 million for transit security and almost $13.3 million for port security already announced for those areas.

Agencies eligible for the transit security money include NJ Transit, the Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO), the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT).