The city of San Diego fell to a lower ranking on the Department of Homeland Security’s allocation list because federal officials used a new funding formula this year – one that city officials hope to alter next year by convincing federal officials to weigh the city’s proximity to military installations and the U.S.-Mexico border, said the city’s deputy chief of homeland security.
“They should be giving weight to military bases and give us credit for being the border – not just being near the border – but being the border,” Jill Olen said in an interview this afternoon.
In January, the city was bumped off of the primary funding list among urban centers, which essentially meant that the city had two years to prove they were in high risk or would be dropped from receiving the Urban Area Security Initiative funds, Olen said. Officials had been actively lobbying to get the city back on the primary list this year, but will now focus their efforts on next year.
Olen said $5.1 million of San Diego’s $7.9 million will be spent on a regional communication system. The balance will be spent on regional information and data systems, such as GIS mapping systems, she said.
Also, contrary to earlier reports published here and elsewhere, she said the city received $13.5 million in UASI funds last year – not $14.7 million. That figure included other grant money not specific to the UASI grant, she said.
Check out the This Just In entries below for more on San Diego’s funds.
Editor’s Note: The original version of this post misstated the amount funds that will go to a regional communication system.