Schumer Brings Ring of Sensors to the City

(AP Photo/ David Duprey)

Just call him Senator Get-'er-Done: between beseeching JetBlue to stay in NY and saving Bannerman Castle, Senator Chuck Schumer announced today that the Department of Homeland Security has approved funding for a program to protect NYC against a nuclear attack, calling the program "an indispensable tool used to protect the population, transit hubs, and commercial centers of New York City from the possibility of a devastating nuclear or dirty bomb attack." Another triumph for the Patron Saint of Pool Parties?

The Post reports that the NYPD will receive $18.5 million (out of $20 million nationally available) for the terrorism-combating program, called "Securing the Cities." NYC will be the first to install a ring of sensors along highways, toll plazas, bridges, tunnels and waterways in order to detect radioactive and nuclear material before it enters the city.

When the plan was first discussed over two years ago, it was estimated to require $75-100 million to install properly, and likewise, Sen. Schumer said additional funding would be necessary to purchase more sensors, fully link up the system and train police. Hopefully he'll figure out a way to finish the job; sometimes all it takes is grabbing a gun and killing some pheasants.

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By Ben Yakas in News on January 22, 2010 3:45 PM

Comments [rss]

Chuck Schumer's Fat

Don't forget, this demagogue already wasted more than $1,000,000,000,000 (and counting) by voting for Bush and Halliburton's War. Should we trust anything that comes out of his big mouth? And now he's using Guiliani/Bush scare tactics to spend this money when he should be trying to decrease the air pollution in NYC. That's what's really killing us.

Goldthimble

Tea-bag Chuckles...he dropped the word “bitch” on a flight attendant a few weeks ago!

longacre

Looking forward to the upcoming NIMBY battle about placement of these sensors, i.e. no Geiger counters in Westchester "because if they pull over a nuke truck up here, he's liable to set it off on the spot and, well, that is just unacceptable for the amount of taxes we pay!"

Chuck Schumer's Fat

Nice going Chuck. But here's my question: will it be able to also detect radioactivity in everyone's underpants?

Is this just for NY or do we need to find more US tax money to put sensors in Israel? Or are exported cluster bombs and fighter jets going to be enough to do the trick there?