State and localPennsylvania’s homeland security office to operate out of state police HQ
The Pennsylvania Governor’s Office of Homeland Security will move its operations to the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) headquarters in Harrisburg; the office was merged into the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) during the previous administration, but the governor determined that relocating the office to the state police headquarters would result in an even greater combination of intelligence gathering and sharing
Governor Tom Corbett today announced that the Governors’ Office of Homeland Security will soon move its operations to the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) headquarters in Harrisburg.
The Office of Homeland Security was merged into the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) during the previous administration. A recent review, however, determined that relocating the office to the state police headquarters, where staff could partner with the Pennsylvania Criminal Intelligence Center (PACIC), would result in an even greater combination of intelligence gathering and sharing.
PACIC gathers and shares information from a variety of sources, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, the PA Attorney General’s Office, the PA Department of Corrections, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the New York City Police Department.
The governor office also said that to improve the intelligence-sharing process, State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan will be appointed as the Governor’s Homeland Security Advisor. The office is currently staffed by six individuals who will work cooperatively with PSP and PEMA to support the important missions of homeland security and emergency preparedness and response. Staff will report to Noonan on matters of terrorism and security, and to the Governor’s Office on administrative and policy matters.
“It is logical for all the intelligence-gathering units to be under the same law enforcement roof, focusing on its mission of prevention and protection,” Corbett said. “In addition, this change will allow PEMA to focus on its mission of response and recovery and ensure that PEMA receives the quality information necessary to fulfill these missions.”
PEMA director Glenn Cannon will continue to play a role in homeland security by monitoring federal funding sent to Pennsylvania and coordinating regional activities.
