WHEREAS, the threat of terrorism extends beyond the city limits of major metropolitan areas; and

WHEREAS, law enforcement agencies may be confronted by threats to the transportation infrastructure, agriculture, water supplies, power grids, and other critical items; and

WHEREAS, Congress directed the Department of Homeland Security to better prepare smaller communities to prevent, deter, and respond to terrorism; and

WHEREAS, the Office of State and Local Government Cooperation and Preparedness (SGLCP) created the Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program (CEDAP) to provide law enforcement technologies directly to smaller jurisdictions throughout the United States; and

WHEREAS, CEDAP is designed to benefit those agencies that may otherwise be ineligible for funding and allows these agencies to select and procure specialized equipment; and

WHEREAS, CEDAP also provides the training and technical assistance to ensure that recipients are able to use the equipment effectively; and

WHEREAS, CEDAP is a direct assistance program, not a grant program, and there is no lengthy application process and no matching fund requirements; and

WHEREAS, CEDAP provides a wide range of equipment, including communications interoperability systems, information sharing software, chemical detection and sensor devices, and personal protective equipment; and

WHEREAS, $8 million in equipment transfers was available in 2005 (Phase I) and $24 million in 2005-2006 (Phase II); and

WHEREAS, future funding (Phase III) for this vital program is undetermined at this time; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED that federal funding of the CEDAP program be sustained at $50 million or more per year.