The state is questioning whether the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police qualified for $21 million in federal Homeland Security money and whether it was spent properly.
"Over three years, the chiefs association received more than half the money allocated to Ohio through the Local Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program -- one of five federal programs that hand out Department of Homeland Security money. The money more than tripled the association's annual budget."
It should be noted that OACP fought tooth and nail against concealed carry, sorely needed citizen safety legislation, in the Ohio General Assembly four years ago. More recently, OACP testified in favor of classifying Ohio concealed carry licensee data as public records, and opening them up to the public for review. This would have made it easy to criminals to know who keeps firearms at their homes. This is an interesting opinion, according to the Society of Professional Journalists, considering that OACP "is not usually counted among the state's fiercest advocates of open government."
In the end, access to Ohio Concealed Handgun License licensee records (restricted to journalists only), was tightened despite OACP objections.
The investigation over Homeland Security funds continues to unfold. Stay tuned!
20 January 2008
Ohio Police Group That Fought Concealed Carry Being Investigated For Improperly Receiving Homeland Security Grants
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5 comments:
This is nothing more then sour grapes, control and political infighting. Cleveland or Cuyahoga county is fighting for more dollars from Homeland security. The Police Chief association received some funds and actually used it for something that we need. various people are claiming they wasted the cash....If you want a real story, audit the way Ohio and the county used Homeland security grants....Sadly you can't because they will claim national security concerns and you can't do an accurate accounting of funds that are typically used for things that have nothing to do with Homeland security.
A- Maybe. But the larger issue is whether they were even a qualified recipient. And how the funds have been used. As a self defense advocate, I have not understood the OACP's stance on carry, considering that they purport to represent smaller departments, when across most of the state, smaller departments had no problem with CC, while the objections came from large politicized urban departments.
Still, you are correct about the infighting among cities over federal HSA funds. It has been brutal at times. Through various sources, I DO KNOW how some of the HSA funds have been utilized by bigger departments in Ohio. But as a taxpayer I would, overall, hope that money going to individual departments will be used for "vital" security/anti-terror/response equipment, such as com-gear, chemical suits, intelligence gathering and the like, rather than pretty new Ford Explorers.
A big question. Why didn't OACP share with its members the source of the windfall? The possible fear is that leaders there knew they were in a "gray area" with the receipt of funds and didn't want to become a blip on the HSA audit radar.
why didn't the ohio chiefs point out that they might not be eligible? doesn't that show they just wanted to grab the money and run? pretty dumb to get that much money and not think anyone would notice.
Does anyone else think the first poster saying it is all sour grapes works for the Ohio Chiefs group? He seemed to come across as having a lot of inside information.
LOL - I dont work for anyone even remotely connected to this group or any gov organzation. However, I do know the political games that goes on behind the scenes. Many pople may not understand that the gov agencies first concern is always, securing funds or grants. Its like 10 kids fighting for 5 apples. When one doesn't get one, he calls foul. It doesn't matter if this agency or dept should even get the funds, they apply and hope for the best.
It is almost laughable that Cuyahoga county is complaining to anyone about mis-spent funds. I can't think of another county in Ohio and wastes more taxpayers money then Cuyahoga County.
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