Agencies reimbursed for holiday security

Jace Radke

Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2004 | 11:29 a.m.

Nearly $100,000 has been reimbursed to local agencies for money spent on extra security during the high terror alert level over the holidays.

Only Metro Police and the Nevada Highway Patrol have not been paid yet, but that's because they are still calculating the additional amounts they spent, and checks will be sent as soon as a final figure is received by the state, Nevada homeland security adviser Jerry Bussell said.

"We were able to get the money reimbursed to local agencies quickly because we planned for this and were ready," Bussell said. "As soon as final numbers are in from Metro and the NHP, their checks will be in the mail."

Officials with the state Division of Emergency Management said that checks were sent to several agencies across the state Feb. 5.

The agencies receiving reimbursements included North Las Vegas Emergency Management, $43,015; Clark County Fire Department, $12,979; Las Vegas Emergency Management, $16,379; Henderson Emergency Management, $18,764; Douglas County, $4,955; and Washoe County, $3,492.

Metro will ask that about $250,000 be reimbursed, down from earlier estimates of more than $300,000, and the NHP expects to request about $56,000, according to officials with the two agencies.

A Metro spokesman said this morning that the department's final tally is still being calculated and would likely be turned over to the state this week. As of Friday the NHP was still checking figures, Trooper Angie Wolff said.

The money is in repayment of expenses incurred by agencies above the normal security costs associated with a high, or level orange, terror alert. The recent alert began on Dec. 21 and was lowered to an elevated, or yellow alert, on Jan. 9.

The majority of the extra expenditures came in overtime and additional shifts for first-responders, with the majority coming around New Year's.

Armed U.S. Customs agents in Blackhawk helicopters patrolled the skies over the Strip on New Year's Eve, while police mixed with 270,000 revelers on the ground. Energy Department officials used sophisticated equipment to search for biological or chemical agents, and Nevada Army National Guard soldiers were stationed at McCarran International Airport.

Overall Metro spent about $443,000 for policing on New Year's Eve and into New Year's Day, officials said.

Bussell said he hopes that future homeland security monies can be distributed as quickly and efficiently as the reimbursement checks.

The Nevada Homeland Security Commission was scheduled to meet today to work toward a funding formula to divide the $26.5 million in federal homeland security funds allocated to the state in 2004.

Bussell has added George Togliatti, new director of the state Department of Public Safety, to the commission. Togliatti, former leader of the FBI organized crime strike force in Las Vegas, will serve as co-chairman with Bussell on the commission's finance committee.