L.A. Area to Receive $61 Million for Security

Los Angeles County and 17 of its cities will receive Homeland Security grants totaling $61 million in the latest round of funding under the federal Urban Area Security Initiative, Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn said Friday.

The funds will be used for security equipment, training and operational needs, officials said. The grants announced Friday roughly double the amount previously received under the security initiative.

The Los Angeles urban area received funding based on population density, critical infrastructure and an assessment of potential vulnerability, officials said. The 17 cities receiving funds are Los Angeles, Alhambra, Beverly Hills, Burbank, Commerce, Culver City, El Segundo, Glendale, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Fernando, Santa Monica, Torrance, Vernon and West Hollywood.

“The sheer size and assets of the city of Los Angeles make us especially vulnerable to terrorist attack and challenge our security infrastructure and resources,” Hahn said.

Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Los Angeles), a member of the House subcommittee on homeland security appropriations, cited Los Angeles International Airport and the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports as facilities with urgent security needs.