The six metropolitan areas deemed at greatest risks for a terror attack now will be able to use federal grants to pay salaries of police officers assigned to counterterrorism jobs like guarding city bridges and subway tunnels, the New York Times reports. The rules change will apply New York, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Washington, and San Francisco.
These six urban areas will share $411 million in antiterrorism grants this year, while 39 other areas will compete for the remaining $336 million in available grants. New York City had lobbied for the change. Previously, while some grant money could be used for overtime, federal officials pushed cities to use the money to buy antiterrorism equipment like gas masks or surveillance systems rather than for salaries.
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/06/nyregion/06homeland.html