Colorado’s homeland-security strategy has been stalled by a bottom-up approach that fails to identify statewide needs, according to a report released Friday by state lawmakers.
The report calls for state officials to overhaul how they prepare for terrorist attacks or other emergencies by uniting the duties in a single office.
“The state’s organization of homeland security needs to be streamlined and consolidated,” according to the bipartisan Homeland Security Committee of state senators.
Key recommendations include:
The report drew a blistering reply from Michael Beasley, executive director of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, which oversees tens of millions of dollars in federal grants designed to improve security in the state.
“I think they have ignored all of the testimony they have received,” Beasley said. “I’m sure the first responders will find it offensive that a committee thinks it knows better what they need.”
The committee of three Democrats and two Republicans spent months gathering testimony from law enforcement officers, health-care officials, business executives and homeland-security officials.
Sen. Dan Grossman, D-Denver, chairman of the committee, said the recommendations are based on that testimony and are consistent with a survey by U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, who found that local officials were frustrated with the state’s approach to homeland security.
“I think it is something that can be fixed if the executive branch wants to,” Grossman said. “But a head-in-the-sand approach to homeland security just isn’t going to cut it.”
Lawmakers and officials in Republican Gov. Bill Owens’ administration have been tussling since the beginning of the year over the state’s handling of homeland-security matters.
Staff writer Mark P. Couch can be reached at 303-820-1794 or mcouch@denverpost.com.
