Hearing of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security - Role of Local Law Enforcement in Countering Violent Islamist Extremism Panel II

Interview

Hearing of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security - Role of Local Law Enforcement in Countering Violent Islamist Extremism Panel II

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SEN. COLLINS: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And as usual, the chairman has given me the useful transition to my first question. The Homeland Security legislation which the chairman mentioned -- the Senate version also would have created within the Department of Homeland Security a new Office for the Prevention of Terrorism, OPT. We had already given it its acronym. And the whole purpose of this office, which was suggested to us by state and local law enforcement, was to have a single point of contact within the department that would be tasked with working with state and local law enforcement.

Now, unfortunately, from my perspective, that has been scaled down to just a coordinator. I'd like to hear from each of you an assessment of the degree of cooperation you have with DHS and whether you think it would be helpful to create a specific office dedicated to the prevention of terrorism. We have FEMA to work on preparedness response, but prevention really is the key. We'll start with you, Chief.

MR. DOWNING: I think so. We have a unique and productive relationship with DHS. We have a DHS representative in our fusion center, Joel Cohen (sp), who's a tremendous asset to our whole intelligence-gathering operation. And we've had pretty good luck in the whole UASI process. In the last three UASI cycles, I think our police department, approximately $40 million to build infrastructure to help prevent terrorism from the LACOP, the Los Angeles Common Operating Picture, to the regional video command centers and license plate recognition, and things that really detect that.

But I think we're going a little bit deeper now. Now we're talking more about what we can do, do on the motivational side of the terrorist equation and what DHS could assist us with in developing programs and funding to make our outreach really meaningful and bring value to that so that we not only identify -- are able to identify this radicalization process that was so well-discussed in the New York report, but also look for communities at risk and see what we can do to assist and support those communities.

SEN. COLLINS: Thank you. Major.

MAJ. RONCZKOWSKI: Yes. Thank you. We've had a very good relationship with DHS, particularly in the past year. We too have a reports officer that's just been assigned down to the region. He'll be working out of our office, James Davies (sp). We've been in discussion with Charlie Allen with regards to getting an intel analyst down in our shop. My gap's not with the City of Miami or Hialeah Police, my gap's at the federal level, and that's what I'm trying to bridge.

Some of the funding that has come in, whether it's UASI, which we are part of, we've seen a decrease in funding in South Florida. When it comes to South Florida, it's rather unique. You take out, you impact South Florida, most people think you're impacting tourism. You're impacting the entire Caribbean Basin. What happens in South Florida will impact the entire Caribbean Basin because they are very dependent on us, from our shallow draft ports, our cruises, whatever the case may be. What comes from South Florida generally goes down there.

Most of the equipment and money that have been out there have been going towards responding, reacting and recovery. I agree there needs to be an office to prevent, to work on the intelligence aspect, the interdiction, the information flow. Those are key. Many people are trying, but there's no focal point that's out there. A lot of the money that is coming in is being absorbed in management and administration, going to the state level. We're the largest law enforcement agency in the Southeast, and our money has to go through the state. There should be opportunities to have some of that funding go directly to us, where efforts of what we're already doing could be expanded. We will be inclusive of other agencies, including the state. however, when M&A money -- you're talking millions of dollars that are being absorbed that could be used towards prevention.

SEN. COLLINS: Thank you.

Major Dailey?

MAJ. DAILEY: Yes, ma'am. The funding mechanism's getting very cumbersome through -- because it has to go through a UASI region. It doesn't go from an individual police department. It has to go through the region and then through the state and then through DHS. You know, one of the big issues that I think has got to be resolved before we can really truly attack this prevention problem as one is we have three streams of information. We have DHS, we have the FBI, and we have DOD. In our region, we have local FBI. The joint terrorism task force is represented by DHH (sic) agencies, you know, federal protective service, secret service, ICE.

But it doesn't solve the problem. The information stream's going both ways. I think there's some good programs in place now. DHS is placing analysts in state fusion centers. We hope that that will trickle down to where they will place analysts in regional fusion centers. We don't -- outside of the critical infrastructure protection guy in Kansas City we do not have a DHS representative -- a liaison -- an office -- a terrorism prevention officer who could help implement programs. I mean, there are numerous programs that come out of DHS on a regular basis.

So I would say more of a presence from DHS especially in the fusion centers -- regional fusion centers -- as opposed to state fusion or in addition to state fusion centers. And the funding right now, you know, and I'll just give you one example of a interdiction project we had at terminals -- hubs of people who are in this country illegally, their visas expired from countries that have origins of terrorist organizations -- we are doing that with our interdiction folks that are working narcotics. When we tried to put this program in place for funding through the federal government it was turned down and it was the one thing that we have had measurable results in stopping people that had ties.

SEN. COLLINS: Thank you.

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