By Tom Weber, KWMU
Washington, DC – Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge will kick off a series of national town hall meetings next month in St. Louis.
He says the meetings will increase citizen involvement in protecting the nation.
The first meeting will be held October eighth in St. Louis. He says the goal is to better protect citizens and to engage them in the department's work.
The meetings are part of a new initiative called "Homeland Security from the Citizen's Prospective," which was launched Tuesday.
The Council for Excellence in Government says the initiative is "designed to connect citizens with business leaders, first responders, volunteer and civic organizations, members of academia, and government officials at the federal, state, and local level on the topic of homeland security."
"It's important that we have a solid understanding of what citizens want and expect from their government," Ridge said Tuesday in a statement. "It's also personally important to me to hear the ideas and concerns of citizens firsthand."
The St. Louis meeting will be October 8th. Other town hall meetings are scheduled in Miami, Rochester, San Diego, Lexington, Houston and Seattle.