As the Progressive Policy Institute stressed in a January report, state and local law enforcement and emergency response teams have an important role to play in defending against and responding to terrorist attacks.
Leaders in Congress and the Administration have not yet put forward a plan that weaves state and local jurisdictions into a seamless national domestic defense strategy. But New Democrat mayors like Kwame Kilpatrick in Detroit and Anthony Williams in DC are showing leadership by taking steps to increase preparedness in their cities.
In April, we noted that Kilpatrick announced a comprehensive 10-point plan to use technology and better communications and coordination, not only to prepare for potential terrorist attacks, but also to fight everyday crime.
Now, Williams has signed into law the Omnibus Anti-Terrorism Act of 2002, giving the District of Columbia the operational tools to prepare for and respond to terrorist acts.
Among other things, the features of the Act include: a requirement that the District have an effective emergency operations plan; the addition of emergency personnel to the group of people who may administer controlled substances under the direction and supervision of a licensed practitioner; and the amendment of the Mayor's existing authority to quarantine individuals and groups of individuals during a public health emergency.
"My job as mayor is to reassure people who live, work, and visit Washington that our city is safe and open for business," Williams says. "This legislation gives my administration the tools we need to protect citizens and visitors and to respond swiftly and appropriately to any incident or terrorist act."
Describing his vision last November on the PBS News Hour, Williams also stressed the need for a coordinated federal-state-local strategy. Asked about the extra responsibilities he faces in leading a city with a large federal presence, Williams highlighted the need for intergovernmental cooperation between the District, Virginia and Maryland, and also intra-governmental cooperation among agencies.
"We're trying to do that now with something called a joint operation center," Williams said. "We have a center where there is real time coordination between Secret Service, FBI, and our law enforcement people. That's a good thing. We need to do that prospectively."
Mayor Williams is a member of the DLC's Local Elected Officials Network (LEON), and in May 2000 was part of a select group of elected officials invited by the DLC to historic Hyde Park for a two-day strategic meeting that produced The Hyde Park Declaration, a statement of New Democrat principles and a broad national policy agenda for the next decade.
Anthony A. Williams began serving as the fourth Mayor of the District of Columbia on January 4, 1999. Prior to that, Williams served as the District of Columbia Chief Financial Officer (CFO) from October 1995 through June 1998. Born in Los Angeles, Williams is the adopted son of Virginia and the late Lewis Williams, and is one of eight children. He graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Political Science from Yale College, earned a juris doctorate from Harvard Law and a master's degree in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He also served in the US Air Force. Williams and his wife, Diane, live in the Foggy Bottom and have one daughter, Asantewa Foster.
