It is recommended that Council authorize the Director of the Mayor's Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security to apply for the continuation of the Securing the Cities Grant Program funding from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), accept any grant awards, and for the City of Houston Mayor to enter into any agreement necessary to secure Houston's allocation through this grant program (not to exceed five years). The Securing the Cities Grant Program has a 10-year performance period starting on September 1, 2020, and ending August 31, 2030.
The Securing the Cities (STC) Program is a DHS-funded program designed to enhance the capabilities for detecting and interdicting unregulated radiological/nuclear materials that could be used as a weapon within high-risk metropolitan areas. The STC Program, administered through the Grants and Financial Assistance Division builds regional operational capacity primarily through the purchase of equipment and training for area law enforcement personnel.
The City of Houston first received Securing the Cities grant funding for the Houston region in 2015.
The program's investment will sustain and expand the region's current capabilities and primary goals:
1. Enhance the Houston regional capabilities to detect, identify, and interdict radiological/nuclear materials that are out of regulatory control.
2. Guide the coordination of regional agencies in their roles as defined by the Global Nuclear Detection Architecture.
3. Develop common mechanisms for regional partner to share information and exchange best practices.
4. Encourage participants to sustain a base radiological/nuclear detection program over time.
Fiscal Note:
No Fiscal note is required on grant items.
_____________________________
Larry Satterwhite, Director