Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach receive $15.3 million in security grants
Grants to help improve security at ports, support implementation of TWIC program; the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach account for more imports and exports traffic than any other U.S. port
U.S. Representative Loretta Sanchez (D-California) applauded Homeland Security secretary Janet Napolitano for awarding nearly $15.3 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding to strengthen the security and provide further protections to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Sanchez also serves as vice chair of the Homeland Security Committee and Chair of the Border, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism Subcommittee, the subcommittee that has primary jurisdiction over maritime ports throughout the United States.
“I am thrilled that Secretary Napolitano awarded nearly $15.3 million in grants to strengthen the security around the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles,” said Sanchez. “These grants, which were made possible by the stimulus bill, will be used to further protect our ports and Southern California communities from threats like terrorism by providing police and fire departments with the tools they need to do their jobs as effectively as possible.”
“These grants will also be used to further implement the transportation worker identification program, often known as TWIC, which requires all workers to carry a special identification card while working on the ports. As Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism, I have fought hard to fully and efficiently implement the TWIC card program, so that our port workers can continue to do the job they were hired to do.”
According to DHS, the Port Security Grant Program (PSGP) is awarding $150 million in ARRA funding to protect critical port infrastructure from terrorism; enhance maritime domain awareness and risk management capabilities; and support the implementation of the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) — -a tamper-resistant biometric credential issued to workers who require unescorted access to secure areas of ports and vessels.
The following grants were awarded to various entities surrounding the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach:
- Grants to help improve security at ports, support implementation of TWIC program City of Long Beach, Harbor Department: $7,779,081
- City of Los Angeles: $6,000,000
- Long Beach Fire Department: $100,000
- Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department: $1,420,000
