Coordination Needed To Thwart 'Evolving Threats': Congressman

NEW YORK, NY — Using the backdrop of the 9/11 anniversary, a congressional hearing was held on Tuesday in lower Manhattan.

Rep. Anthony D'Esposito (R-Island Park) convened members of the Homeland Security Committee’s Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology for the field hearing at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.

"The main purpose was to talk about evolving threats across the nation," D'Esposito told Patch.

Witnesses were invited to testify about how agencies are prepared in a post-9/11 America. Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder was among the guests.

"He knows how to conduct investigations," D'Esposito said. "He is a crime-fighter."

"We wanted to make sure that the information that some agencies have is shared amongst others," he said.

D'Esposito said it was agreed upon by everyone that as horrific as Sept. 11, 2001 was, "there was failed communication [and] there was failed intelligence."

He said using the litmus test of "Are we safer than we were on 9/11?" the committee was able to answer why and what areas still need improvement.

D'Esposito named several potential terror threats, including "aggression from China," Russia and "the amount of unknowns that are coming across our southern border."

The 4th Congressional District representative said it's imperative to ensure coordination at all levels is in place.

"People at home understand different agencies that are tasked with keeping them safe are actually doing the work of the people and making sure that they're doing the very best they can in order to keep communities safe," D' Esposito said.