Springs' homeland security grant hardly a secret

If terrorists want to know what homeland security equipment Colorado Springs got recently from Uncle Sam, they aren't going to find out from the police.

They're just going to have to go online.

Police Chief Richard Myers sent a memo to City Council, informing members of the award, but keeping them in the dark about what it is or what it's worth.

The equipment, Myers said in the memo, "will be used to support local and regional responses to terrorist incidents as well as surveillance."

Attached to his memo is a Dec. 20, 2007, letter from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a division of the Department of Homeland Security, informing Myers of the award.

Myers redacted the part describing what Colorado Springs got. "Your agency will receive a" followed by blank white space.

The letter is not marked "classified."

Deputy Chief Steve Liebowitz released a copy of the unredacted letter after The Gazette questioned the edited version. He also said the equipment is worth $11,000.

The item is an XOA Series Portable Video Surveillance System, which Liebowitz told the City Council at its meeting Tuesday would be used for day-to-day operations as well as responses to "terrorist activities."

He provided a flier outlining the equipment's capabilities but requested the details not be disclosed so the bad guys won't know what the police are armed with.

A Google search of the equipment's name resulted in a description of the XOA as "an extremely versatile, portable, multi-use, manned or un-manned video surveillance system ... capable of managing a variety of cameras (up to 4 simultaneous), including pan-tilt-zooms, long-range, day-night, analog and IP digital." See https://www.rkb.us/contentdetail.cfm?content_id=136150

Also, a list of the types of equipment doled out is posted on the Homeland Security Department's Web site showing what's been given to 1,853 agencies through the Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program.

The equipment and training cost taxpayers $33.7 million and was given to law enforcement, fire and paramedic agencies.

For the list, visit www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/grants_cedapawards_fy2007.pdf

The site also reports how many items in each category were given to each state. Colorado received one piece of personal protective equipment, 16 thermal imaging, night vision and video surveillance tools, three chemical and biological detection tools, eight information technology and risk management tools and one piece of interoperable communications equipment.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0238 or pam.zubeck@gazette.com