By AP/KWMU
Washington, DC – St. Louis and the Kansas City area will receive almost $10 million each to improve security under new grants from the federal Homeland Security Department.
The grant is part of $700 million in grants that were announced Wednesday.
St. Louis will get $9.85 million; Kansas City will receive slightly less, $9.69 million. Chicago will get $30 million more than what it received earlier this year.
The money is being awarded by a formula that considers population density, critical facilities like major bridges or landmark buildings, and the likelihood of an attack.
St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay says the city has been waiting a long time for the federal help with homeland security.
This is money we've been talking about and been working on in Washington ever since 9-11-01," Slay said. "This money is going to come to St. Louis, it's going to flow through the state and come to the region. What I need to make sure it's allocated in a fair way.