NYC awarded grants for threat detection

NEW YORK, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- The New York City Police Department has been awarded approximately $29 million in grants to defend the city against radiological threats.

The Homeland Security Department maintains that the New York metropolitan area remains a high-risk urban region for radiological and other nuclear weapons threats.

The DHS, as part of the Securing the Cities initiative, awarded approximately $29 million to New York to assist with detection technologies and other threat preventive measures.

"I was pleased to sign another cooperative agreement through the Securing the Cities initiative with the New York City Police Department," Vayl Oxford, DHS domestic nuclear detection office director, said in a statement.

"This funding will help the New York metropolitan area to acquire equipment, training and support to further our mission of preventing dangerous radiological and nuclear materials from entering a high-risk urban area."

New York received $3.2 million in 2007 under the Securing the Cities initiative.