According to the U.S. Census Bureau data released last week, Wisconsin ranks last among the 50 states in Department of Homeland Security funding. Despite the weak funding, The Chicago Tribune found 18 percent of Wisconsin voters feel terrorism is the most important issue facing the nation.
Col. Tim Donavan, head of Wisconsin Homeland Security Administration, stressed the Badger State’s last-place ranking in security funding should not be interpreted as meaning the state is unprepared.
“Despite low funding in this area, Wisconsin has a well-coordinated response,” Donavan said.
Donovan said Wisconsin does not have a state office for the Department of Homeland Security, but the administration he works for acts as the body securing the Badger State. The administration is a committee made up of local military and law-enforcement professionals that meet to share intelligence and discuss strategy and rapid-response techniques. Donovan also talked about the various issues the administration deals with.
“Homeland Security is an issue because Wisconsin is considered a border state, and Lake Superior and Lake Michigan are considered international waters,” Donavan said.
Donavan also said Wisconsin has several infrastructural targets that he cannot disclose for security reasons, that must be taken in consideration when protecting the homeland.
According to R.P. Eddy, former director of counterterrorism on the White House Security Council, Wisconsin has significant targets warranting homeland security protection.
“Milwaukee is actually higher up on the list of cities than people think,” Eddy said. “And I’m not just saying that because I grew up in Mequon.”
A recent arrest in Wisconsin brought attention to possible terrorist activities, as Muhummad Abu Shawish was arrested in October 2003 for forging false visas. According to Fancy Wendelborn of the Assistant U.S. Attorney Office for the eastern district of Wisconsin, Shawish was involved with Milwaukee’s Arab Festival until a few months after Sept. 11.
Two years later, in 2003, he was arrested for attempting to bring in Jordanian citizens with fraudulent invitations to dance at the Arab Festival accompanied by fake visas.
Wendelborn states because Shawish is still awaiting trial, the full motivation behind his activities is unknown.
Chris Johnson, FBI agent in the Milwaukee bureau, said citizens’ vigilance is particularly important in the case of a city like Milwaukee and in the state of Wisconsin because targets are not centralized.
“We go on tips about suspicious activity around critical infrastructure and public utilities,” Johnson said.
Other threats around Wisconsin include Madison’s University of Wisconsin campus due to the nuclear material used in research, among other assets, Johnson said, adding the FBI works on security and intelligence in Madison.
More recently, destruction of power lines last week in the Milwaukee suburb of Oak Creek drew attention as a possible small-scale terrorist act. However, no links to terrorists have been concluded as of this time.
“If it was [terrorist related], we can’t figure out what the motivation might be,” Johnson said.
Despite the increase in responsibility, Johnson said his job has been more rewarding in the three years since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, adding community involvement is playing a key role.
“We have a better relationship than ever with the community and local law enforcement, which means we get stronger leads,” Johnson said.
Johnson says one of the most important relationships the FBI has is with Milwaukee’s Muslim community.
“There is very high concern for national security in that community,” Johnson said.
