Governor
Corzine appointed Richard L. Cañas, a career law enforcement
and counter-terrorism expert, as director of the office. The director
is the Governor’s principal advisor on homeland security
and preparedness issues.
The office
has absorbed the functions of the former state Office of Counter-Terrorism,
which include investigations, as well as information and intelligence
gathering and analysis, and intelligence and information-sharing
functions.
The office
also now oversees the New
Jersey Domestic Security Preparedness Task Force, the state’s
multi-agency cabinet-level policy body for homeland security,
counter-terrorism and preparedness issues. The director of the
Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness serves as the Task
Force’s chair.
The Office
has a mission to coordinate its activities among state department
and agencies, and between:
- State
and county government and agencies
- State
and local governments and agencies
- State
and various federal departments and agencies
- The state
and the private sector
The Office
of Homeland Security and Preparedness works closely with the State
Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM), housed in the Division
of State Police.
While the
office has responsibility for overseeing statewide emergency response
coordination, the NJOEM continues as the state’s primary
operational agency in terms of managing the consequences of emergencies
and the post-event response to emergencies.
Office
of Homeland Security & Preparedness's Primary Office Functions>> |
