Vegas gets $5M federal grant to prevent terrorism

WASHINGTON — Las Vegas will receive a $5 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security to help guard against terrorist attacks — money the state’s congressional delegation pressed for following the Oct. 1 mass shooting.

The grant announced Monday is an increase over the $2.8 million the city received last year through the Urban Areas Security Initiative program, which provides financial assistance to urban areas to build infrastructure and train personnel to prevent and respond to acts of terrorism.

A change in the funding formula increased the amount Las Vegas will receive, said Sen. Dean Heller, R-nev., who lobbied the Trump administration for more money.

The Nevada congressional delegation first sought the formula change and a funding increase in June. They again pressed the administration for more money for local law enforcement after the shooting on the Strip that left 58 dead and hundreds more wounded.

The formula now takes into account the tens of millions of tourists who visit Las Vegas annually — nearly 43 million last year — not just the resident population.

“It is our responsibility to keep everyone safe,” said Heller, who asked Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to reconfigure the program.

Rep. Dina Titus, D-nev., said she was pleased with the increase in funding for Las Vegas but noted that additional changes to the program’s disbursement formula need to be made to recognize the unique threats Las Vegas faces as a worldclass tourism destination.

Contact Gary Martin at gmartin@ reviewjournal.com or 202-662-7390. Follow @garymartindc on Twitter.