Kelly: Federal terror funding cuts harmful

NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said Wednesday that proposed cuts to federal funding for homeland security programs would "dangerously" hurt the city's ability to protect itself from terrorism.

In testimony before the City Council committees on public safety and finance, Kelly repeated that the city was better prepared than ever to defend itself against an attack, but decried the finance bill making its way through the House of Representatives, which would cut homeland security grants to state and local governments by 55 percent, from $2.2 billion in fiscal year 2011 to $1 billion in fiscal year 2012.

"Needless to say, this would dangerously compromise our ability to keep the city safe," Kelly said.

Planned state cuts of $170 million to the court system would also reduce hours available for state courts in the city, drastically increasing the arrest-to-arraignment times for defendants and prisoner volume in city jails, Kelly said.

Court delays would require increased police overtime, Kelly said.

In a news conference with reporters after the hearing, Kelly said documents the United States seized in the May 1 raid that led to the death of Osama bin Laden has not revealed any threat directed against the city.