Homeland security is hometown security, and “it begins with you,” the director of the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security told the McComb Rotary Club Wednesday.
“The key word here is vigilance,” said J.W. Ledbetter in urging his audience to be aware of unusual people or activity in their communities and to report any suspicions to authorities.
Ledbetter, a former Madison County sheriff’s employee who later worked for the Mississippi Gaming Commission, said that while Mississippi may not be considered a primary target for a terrorist attack, it is a “funding source” for overseas operations.
He mentioned cases where funds from illegal gambling, as well as other enterprises, were funneled out of the country.
His agency is not a part of the federal Department of Homeland Security but operates under the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.
A big role of the agency is to serve as a conduit for federal grants to flow to cities, counties and other government jurisdictions.
Ledbetter noted that some of the grants, amounting to millions, go unspent.
In addition to administering grants, the agency also conducts training programs for first responders.
