Anaheim Receives Security Grant

Anaheim has been allocated a $10.8-million grant from the Department of Homeland Security to help prevent and respond to terrorist threats.

The money is from the Urban Area Security Initiative, which gives an additional $855 million to cities with greater needs, based on such factors as population, threat information and mutual aid coordination. The money is in addition to funds already given to cities by the department for security.

Anaheim’s police and fire chiefs will meet early next year with their north Orange County counterparts to discuss how to spend the money.

“We’ll be looking for ideas from them,” Anaheim Police Chief John Welter said. “We’re looking primarily at new computer technology and more specialized equipment for responding to terrorist events that may occur.”

Welter said he also wants to improve training and multiagency communication to better prevent attacks.

Last year’s grant helped fund technology development that allows law enforcement agencies to share information about suspects, Welter said. “Right now, we don’t do a very good job at that.”

Past grants were used to purchase mobile command posts and SWAT vehicles capable of responding to biological and chemical attacks. The equipment, Welter said, is being shared among police agencies in northern Orange County.

This summer, the city created an online operations center, making information accessible 24 hours a day to certain city and law enforcement officials. The operations center brings together multiple city networks, including those of 911 calls, business records, interactive maps that track emergency crews and other real-time data.

City officials said they will use the new grant to build on that program, adding information from north county cities.

Santa Ana, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose and San Diego also received funds.