KEAN SAYS FORT DIX TERROR PLOT EMPHASIZES NEED FOR NEED-BASED DISTRIBUTION OF SECURITY FUNDS 
PLOT COULD HAVE UNFOLDED IN DISTRICT SNUBBED FOR GRANTS

Assemblyman Sean Kean today said the planned terrorist attack on Fort Dix by six Islamic terrorists that was foiled last night by federal authorities should provide ample evidence of why he has continued to fight for a need-based system of distributing state homeland security dollars.

“Luckily in this instance law enforcement officials were able to thwart this possible terrorist attack before it got off the ground,” said Kean, R-Monmouth. “But hopefully this will serve as a reminder that we need to remain ever vigilant against these threats and that one way to do so is to ensure we are wisely utilizing our state homeland security dollars.”

Kean has been leading the effort over the past three years to put a stop to the practice under past administrations through which more than $20 million of homeland security funds meant for local police, fire, and first aid officials was handed out based purely on politics.

From 2002 through 2005, $21.3 million of the $22.9 million in grants – 93 percent of the total – went to towns in Democrat-controlled legislative districts. Police chiefs and public safety directors in towns throughout the state were encouraged to submit applications for the funds, but those applications were discarded without serious consideration by officials who put politics ahead of public safety.

Fort Dix is located in the 8th and 30th Legislative Districts, and adjacent to the 9th Legislative District. Those districts were largely ignored in the funding process – presumably due to their Republican representation in the Legislature. There are reports the terrorists were also looking at Fort Monmouth as a potential target.

Last month it was revealed that many towns which did receive funding under this program, apparently never needed – or cared to utilized – those funds. New Jersey municipalities have forfeited $2.78 million in homeland security grants for failing to use those dollars.

“We have homeland security dollars that have been squandered and now reclaimed by the state and we should put those dollars to good use,” said Kean. “We can correct the mistakes of the past by allowing towns snubbed in the last grant process to seek these much needed funds – and then actually awarding dollars based on the merit of those applications.”

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