Salt Lake City International Airport getting stimulus funds to boost security

SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake City International Airport will get $4 million in federal stimulus funds to expand its closed circuit television system.

"It will enable us to nearly double the number of cameras we have in our system," Salt Lake airport spokeswoman Barbara Gann said.

Airport and local Transportation Security Administration officials didn't go into details about the system, which provides airport surveillance, saying that they didn't want to give anyone the upper hand on measures meant to protect air passengers and airport employees.

The $4 million headed to Utah is part of $78 million from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security given to airports throughout the United States. The money comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and is intended to strengthen airport security and create jobs throughout the country, according to a Tuesday statement from Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

There are 62 CCTV networks at airports nationwide, said Dwayne Baird, local TSA spokesman.

"(CCTV is an) integral part of our airport security operations," Baird said. "It helps in detecting threats and enhancing emergency response and risk mitigation."

— Laura Hancock