County accepts homeland security grant

NORWICH – Chenango County leaders last week accepted a $24,800 terrorism prevention grant from the state’s criminal justice services.

The Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program grant provides state and local law enforcement communities with funds to support the following prevention activities: information sharing to pre-empt terrorist attacks; target hardening to reduce vulnerability of selected high value targets; recognition and mapping of potential or developing threats; interoperable communications; and, interdiction of terrorists before they can execute a threat or intervention activities that prevent terrorists from executing a threat.

It is the third year in a row that local officials have received LETPP funding. The grants have helped pay for a hi-tech, mobilized command center trailer, computers in police cars and computers for the 911 Emergency Dispatch Center at the Chenango County Public Safety Facility.

Sheriff Thomas J. Loughren said this year’s grant could be used to purchase computers for county and municipal police departments, enabling local police to communicate with county law enforcement, highway department workers, and state and federal security personnel.