HPD, city seek federal money
By Johnny Brannon
Advertiser Staff Writer
The Honolulu Police Department and other city public safety agencies are asking the federal government for about $10 million to help pay for beefed-up security required by the war with Iraq and threats of terrorism.
HPD spent more than $500,000 on overtime to protect vital infrastructure and gather intelligence during the month after U.S. and British forces invaded Iraq on March 20.
Overtime spending has declined since then, but remains above pre-war levels, said HPD finance division Maj. Susan Ballard.
Police hope to be reimbursed for those costs by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and they hope to secure additional money to pay for security planning, training and equipment.
HPD and other city agencies, including the Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services, are eligible for up to $6.87 million more for such purposes, according to Homeland Security officials. The money is part of a $700 million federal allocation to boost security around urban areas across the nation and to prepare for emergencies.
Planning and training must focus on how to "manage the human consequences of a terrorist incident involving the use of weapons of mass destruction," according to federal grant outlines.
"These grants demonstrate our strong commitment to provide assistance to the men and women on the front lines of the war against terrorism," Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge said in a written statement.
The grant Honolulu stands to receive is the 23rd-largest available to U.S. cities, according to Homeland Security guidelines.
New York City and its surrounding counties are eligible for the largest amount, $125 million. Washington, D.C., can receive $42.4 million, and Chicago is eligible for $29.97 million.
Cities slated for grants smaller than Honolulu's include Pittsburgh; Long Beach, Calif.; New Orleans; Memphis, Tenn.; Cleveland; and Tampa, Fla.
"The dissemination of this funding takes into account threats, population density and the presence of critical infrastructure that will best help to secure our homeland in an environment where we must ensure maximum benefit is derived from every security dollar," Ridge said.
Ballard said it is likely that Honolulu will receive the full $6.87 million the city is eligible for.
"We're getting some relief from these grants, and hopefully it will continue," she said.
HPD also is seeking up to $3 million from the U.S. Justice Department to pay for future overtime costs related to terrorism prevention and training.
The Justice Department's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services expects to release up to $60 million for police overtime nationwide.
Ballard said that those grants are extremely competitive, however, so there's no guarantee that Honolulu will receive one. But chances are good because HPD was able to submit its application quickly with help from the mayor's office and City Council, she said.
Some of the money would help pay for overtime worked to fill in for more than 20 other officers who were called to active military duty, she said. Other money would pay for training, public education about terrorism prevention and intelligence gathering.
HPD expects to spend more than $12 million on non-holiday overtime this year in addition to any overtime paid for by grants.
Police also billed the state $258,934 last month for expenses related to the recent search for three escapees from the Halawa Correctional Facility.
The charges include $58,500 for use of a police helicopter for 117 hours. The search lasted six days and ended when the fugitives were captured April 10.
Reach Johnny Brannon at jbrannon@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.
