Editorial: Anti-terror funds must follow need

Friday, Nov. 7, 2003 | 9:07 a.m.

This week members of the Nevada Homeland Security Commission discussed the controversial issue of how to distribute federal anti-terrorism funds to local governments in the state. Prior to the commission's creation, a different committee dominated by Northern Nevadans distributed the money -- with predictable results. Northern Nevada law enforcement agencies received the most money, a situation that subsequently was corrected in the next round of funding after an outcry by Clark County Sheriff Bill Young. The sheriff correctly noted that Southern Nevada -- with two-thirds of the state's population -- wasn't getting its fair share.

The funding feud appeared to be over, but Richard Mirgon, former chairman of the original committee that distributed the money and who is the 911 communications director for Douglas County, defended the appropriations -- not an auspicious start for the new commission. "We tried to look at the intent of the federal government in allocating these funds, and that wasn't based on population, but need," Mirgon said. "It's not based on a fair share or population, but on protecting lives when there is a need." Young, a member of the new commission, responded that population should be the driving factor.

Regarding Mirgon's comments, the term "need" shouldn't be confused with "needy." Need, in the case of anti-terrorism funding, almost inherently involves population. If the odds are exponentially remote that sparsely populated Northern Nevada will be targeted for terrorism, unlike Las Vegas, which can attract 275,000 visitors on a big weekend, then it would seem the greatest need actually would dovetail with a metropolitan area's population. It also should be noted that Hoover Dam and Nellis Air Force Base could be targeted by terrorists. Police departments in Reno and rural Nevada still should get some anti-terrorism funding from the federal government, but the greatest need for the funding is here in Southern Nevada. This isn't just some hypothetical concern. Five of the 9-11 terrorists, including ringleader Mohamed Atta, spent time in Las Vegas shortly b efore the attacks. Needless to say, they don't appear to have made any excursions to Yerington, Winnemucca, Elko or Reno. A! nd, at a federal terrorism trial in Detroit this year, testimony was provided that Las Vegas had been staked out by other suspected terrorists.

Police departments in urban areas particularly have been hit hard since 9-11. Their budgets have been strapped because they've had to spend so much money on anti-terrorism programs and training that otherwise would have gone for routine policing. As the state distributes anti-terrorism funding in the future -- Nevada just this week received an additional $26.5 million from the federal government -- it should make sure that the overwhelming majority goes to Southern Nevada.