Rep. Titus Invites Homeland Security Secretary to Las Vegas
Washington, DC,
January 20, 2016
January 20, 2016
The invitation is part of an effort by the Congresswoman to increase Southern Nevada's share of public safety grants in 2016. January 20, 2016 Today Rep. Dina Titus of Nevada's First Congressional District invited Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to Las Vegas in an effort to bolster Southern Nevada’s share of public safety grants that will be awarded to cities this year. In a letter to Secretary Johnson, Rep. Titus said an in-person visit by Johnson could help him better understand the region’s unique protocols for emergency management, planning, and training. The Department of Homeland Security annually awards Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grants to high-population communities based on security risk in the country’s largest cities. Last year, DHS awarded Las Vegas $3 million in UASI grants after Rep. Titus worked with federal officials to increase the funding from $1 million in 2014. “As a tourist destination that welcomes nearly one million visitors per week, Las Vegas is a unique example where spreadsheet data do not accurately reflect what’s happening on the ground,” Rep. Titus said. “As we have noted in previous correspondence with the Department, the unique nature of Southern Nevada warrants a funding formula that considers all of the variables that make the region one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world. In my letter, I urge Secretary Johnson to help keep our community safe by visiting Las Vegas to see what we’ve done with prior funding and to reconsider the current distribution formula. I hope to see him in the First District.” |