Yonkers Mayor Spano Urges Congress to Stop Cuts to Counterterrorism & Homeland Security Funds

Via yonkersny.gov

Today, Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano called on the City’s U.S. representatives urging them to help stop proposed cuts by U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to New York State, gutting critical counterterrorism funding by 86%, directly impacting safety and security of its residents. The City of Yonkers joins communities across the State expected to lose millions annually in Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) funding.

“Now is not the time to shortchange the men and women of Yonkers who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe,” said Mayor Spano. “Cutting critical Homeland Security counterterrorism funding would directly undermine the ability of our police officers, firefighters and other emergency personnel to train, respond, and protect. I stand with our first responders as they are our first line of defense — the federal government must stand with them as well and not strip away the resources they need to do their jobs.”

In Yonkers, UASI funding is essential for the City to support intelligence operations, training, preparedness efforts across local agencies, impacting the Yonkers Police Department, its Emergency Services Units, Hazmat and SWAT Training, active short response, infrastructure protection, investigation and marine operations. Additionally, potential cuts would impact the Yonkers Fire, Public Works and IT departments, losing crucial resources needed for rescue and Hazmat training, water disaster response and emergency coordination.

Mayor Spano added, “Implementing these cuts just days after the anniversary of the September 11th attacks, the very event that led to the creation of DHS in 2002, is deeply troubling. Yonkers is the third-largest city in New York State, borders the Bronx and lies just three miles north of Manhattan. We remain a potential soft target and now is not the time to weaken our defenses.”

Mayor Spano recently submitted a letter to U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Congressman George Latimer urging them to take immediate action and advocate on New Yorkers’ behalf to prevent a $189 million decrease in New York’s counterterrorism and Homeland Security funding.