City To See Increased Terror Funds

WASHINGTON — New York City is slated for an increase in federal antiterrorism grant money when the Department of Homeland Security announces its annual allocations later this week, sources who have been briefed on the decision told the New York Sun.

The city and Long Island will receive more than $144 million through a program aimed at protecting urban centers from attack, the sources said. That represents a $10 million, or 7%, hike from 2007.

The state is also getting an additional $10 million through a separate security grant program for a total of $76 million.

Lawmakers and city officials have sparred with the Bush administration over funding for antiterrorism initiatives after its slice of the national pie was slashed in 2006.

The ranking Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Peter King of Long Island, said federal officials have responded to the city's concerns. "It's a very big shift by the department," he said yesterday.

Officials had criticized the Bush administration for spreading the grants too thin across the country, allocating money to rural and suburban areas where the threat of terrorist attack did not compare to that faced by New York. The city "will never get enough money," Mr. King said.

"The extent of the threat against us is extremely significant."