[Chicago Sun Times] Project Shield was supposed to make citizens safer. But in the end, the $45-million Homeland Security program more resembled a disaster, wasting taxpayers' dollars and failing to make a single citizen more secure.
The failed Cook County initiative was replete with equipment that failed to work, missing records and untrained first responders according to a report by the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The report, to be released Monday but obtained by The Sun-Times and NBC5 News, found "millions of tax dollars may have been wasted."
Under Project Shield, two police squad cars in all 128 Cook County suburbs were to be fitted with cameras capable of feeding live video to a central command. In addition, fixed mounted cameras were to be installed to feed pictures in case of a terrorist attack or emergency in Cook County.
A six-month investigation by the IG found "equipment was not working, was removed, or could not be properly operated."
| How much of it was in the homes of various police officers? |
Investigators visited 15 municipalities between January and June last year and found "missing records, improper procurement practices, unallowable costs and unaccountable inventory items."
Project Shield began under the administration of Cook County Board President John Stroger. The majority of the work, however, occurred during the term of his successor and son Hereditary Cook County Board President Todd Stroger.
Installations began in March 2005. By 2008, complaints of mismanagement and fraud were raised, led by then County Commissioners Tony Peraica, Forrest Claypool and Mike Quigley.
In 2009, Quigley, then a congressman (D-5th), asked the Government Accountability Office to investigate, saying, "We have spent hundreds of millions of dollars across the country on homeland security. If Project Shield is any indication, we are less safe."
Sen. Mark Kirk, who was then a congressman, joined in, complaining to Homeland Security Director Big Sis that money had been completely wasted and the department inattentive.
"A Google search of $43-million wasted should come to your attention," Kirk said at a 2010 congressional hearing. 
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