Director

Richard L. Cañas, Director, New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (OHSP). Cañas came to his position with a diverse national security background. He has served as director of the National Drug Intelligence Center, special assistant to the Central Intelligence Agency and Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Drug Enforcement Administration office in Arizona, which culminated a 24-year career with that agency. During four years, spanning the administrations of Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, he served on the White House's National Security Council as a director for Counterterrorism and Counternarcotics. Cañas began his public service career in 1964 as a police officer in Salinas, Cal., and before coming to New Jersey was a director at Concurrent Technologies Corporation, a national security consulting firm based in Johnstown, Pa.

Governor Corzine appointed Cañas the first Director of OHSP, which Corzine created by Executive Order, shortly after taking office in 2006. OHSP is responsible for leading the state’s efforts to prevent, prepare for and respond to terrorist incidents and natural disasters. As OHSP Director, Cañas also serves as Chair of the Domestic Security Preparedness Task Force, a Cabinet-level entity created by the state legislature after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The Task Force is responsible for setting the state’s homeland security and domestic preparedness policy. During his tenure, Cañas has fostered greater coordination and cooperation among the multiple state departments and agencies responsible for implementing the state’s homeland security and emergency preparedness efforts. Senior officials from the State Police, State Office of Emergency Management, Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and the Department of Community Affairs’ Division of Fire Safety participate in OHSP decision making and senior staff deliberations and work closely with OHSP staff on a daily basis.

Under Cañas’ direction the agency aggressively pursues policy objectives of regionalization, transparency and inclusiveness. Homeland security policy is developed in an interagency environment that, in addition to agencies at all levels of government within the state, also includes stakeholders in Philadelphia and New York City. Canas and the office are also active in community outreach programs and public awareness campaigns that foster public confidence and promote preparedness. Canas has testified before the U.S. Congress and State Legislature on numerous security-related issues and has been a tireless advocate for increasing homeland security funding for New Jersey based on risk in the face of diminishing federal homeland security resources.

In its role as the State’s Administrative Agent for security-related grant funding, OHSP is responsible for managing and distributing 14 state and federal homeland security grant programs. Under Cañas’ leadership, OHSP distributes all grant and discretionary funds on the basis of risk and has secured increased port, transit and interoperable funding awards for the region. In federal fiscal year 2007, New Jersey received a 35 percent increase in the total homeland security funds at a time when the total amount available to all states was decreasing. In total, New Jersey was awarded more than $100 million in 2007. Since 2006, $70.4 million has been awarded to New Jersey’s Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) Region, the seven-county area in the northern part of the state, surrounding Jersey City and Newark. In addition, nearly $41 million has been awarded statewide under the State Homeland Security Grant/Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program for use statewide since 2006.

OHSP is also charged with protecting the state’s critical infrastructure, working with county and local government and the private sector to protect facilities against potential terrorism as well as all types of “all-hazards” incidents. In July 2007, OHSP entered into a first-of-its kind partnership with the freight rail carrier, CSX Transportation, (CSXT). CSXT made its secure, Web-based Network Operations System, (NOW), available to New Jersey and New York security and law enforcement officials to provide officials with real-time capabilities to track the location of CSXT rail cars carrying hazardous materials in both states.

At Governor Corzine’s direction to enhance security at the state’s schools and college campuses, Cañas co-chaired two task forces with education and law enforcement officials. These task forces issued recommendations in fall 2007 that are currently being implemented to improve the safety and security at the state’s K-12 schools and college campuses.

Cañas, 67, was born in El Salvador and is fluent in Spanish. He earned a Bachelor's degree from San Jose State University and a teaching credential from the University of California at Berkeley. He lives in Lawrence Township, Mercer County.