Director James Returns From
National Governor’s Homeland Security Council Meeting
JEFFERSON CITY, October 16, 2006-Director of Public
Safety, Mark James spent two days last week at the first National
Governor’s Homeland Security Council meeting held in New Orleans.
In June, Gov. Blunt designated James as Missouri’s representative
to the newly created council.
“This meeting provided homeland security advisors
across the nation with an unprecedented opportunity to exchange thoughts,
concerns, best practices to build long lasting relationship,”
James said.
In comparison to other states, the group considered
Missouri’s homeland security structure one of the more progressive
models. Gov. Blunt heightened the homeland security position when
he took office by elevating the homeland security responsibility to
the Department of Public Safety to better utilize all law enforcement
resources in support of the homeland security mission. Missouri is
one of the few states whose homeland security advisor maintains a
high level of authority and oversight over the state’s public
safety entities.
This was the council’s first meeting and they
are expected to meet again later this year. Objectives included improving
interstate communications, developing a unified voice and trouble-shooting
emerging issues while reviewing and analyzing federal homeland security
activities. The committee also created six standing committees, which
include; intelligence and analysis, critical infrastructure, border
security, immigration and REAL ID, grants, interoperability and catastrophic
planning. The council will share its recommendations and concerns
with Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff in the near future.
James serves on the interoperability committee, which
considers and assesses the overall public safety communication environment
as affected by federal and state statutes, policies, program and procedures
pertaining to emergency communication.