Fairfax to Receive $4,940 for Anti-Terrorism

By Connect Mason Reporter Edwin Mora, for Broadside

Fairfax County will receive $4,940 in anti-terrorism grants of the $260,553 distributed statewide under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program.

“The money [drawn from federal funds] will be used to buy personal protective equipment,” said Eileen Guertler, a spokesperson for the Department of Criminal Justice Services, “which includes things like vests, helmet and eye goggles.”

Critics are pointing their fingers at Homeland Security for “allocating money to rural areas at the expense of more vulnerable urban ones,” Examiner.com reports. Rural Virginia received the most money from the grant.

Guertler pointed out that she has not heard of any complaints from northern Virginia localities about how much money was awarded to rural areas in the Commonwealth.

Arlington County is the northern Virginia area that will be awarded the most money, $4,963, which is not much higher than Stafford County’s $4,908 and Fairfax County’s $4,940.

Floyd County, located in southwest Virginia, will receive $5,000, which is the most a locality could receive under the grant. The awarding of grant funds for each county in the commonwealth was announced on March 20.

“Our men and women in law enforcement are vigilant in combating terrorist activities and these dollars will continue to support their efforts,” said Governor Tim Kaine in a press release.

In previous years, northern Virginia has received millions in funding from the anti-terrorism grant.

According to statistics of DCJS, the same grant program in 2004 awarded $1.1 million to Fairfax County and $51,000 to Fairfax City, a large difference from what these areas will receive this year. In July 2007, Fairfax was awarded $287,000.

The grant money that is now being distributed, according to Guertler, is leftover money from the mentioned 2004 grant. Since northern Virginia received millions in funding from the anti-terrorism grant in the past, rural areas were given preference.

“Northern Virginia got a wealth of money in 2004,” Guertler said, “so we decided that little localities in Virginia should also be able to have personal protective equipment against terrorism.”

To some George Mason University students, giving the most money to rural areas does not make enough sense.

“Northern Virginia has much more business and commerce with the federal government,” said senior Elise Straub, a communication major.

Straub also believes that Fairfax County is in no danger of a terrorist attack and the money could be spent in a more effective manner.

“I doubt a terrorist attack will ever happen in Fairfax, let alone any American suburb,” Straub said. “Giving a little bit of money to local governments wouldn't amount to anything effective.”

The money, according to Straub, should be spent in a “more efficient federal government agency to take care of any anti-terrorism activities.”

Anti-terrorism grant program funds are administered by DCJS. A total of 53 grants were awarded to localities throughout Virginia.

The DCJS made an offer to localities in Virginia asking them what they would do with the money. “The localities who will receive funds are the ones that would best use their money,” Guertler said.

The Fairfax County and Falls Church Health District is projected by the Virginia Department of Health to receive a total of $191,404 in bio-terrorism grant funds from the Centers for Disease Control.

This money will be used to prepare in case of a bio-terrorism attack and to provide surveillance and investigation of a possible attack. The projected number has not been confirmed yet.

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