The District funded a politically popular jobs program,
outfitted police with leather jackets and assessed environmental problems on property prime for redevelopment. In Maryland, the money is buying Prince George's County prosecutors an office security system. In Virginia, a small volunteer fire department spent
$350,000 on a custom-made fire boat. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments used some of the money for
janitorial services. The Washington Post traced the path of the region's first wave of homeland security aid from its distribution through its final use, a trail that has been largely unexamined by federal regulators. The analysis included a review of contracts, grant proposals and purchasing databases obtained through open records laws as well as more than 100 interviews.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6311-2003Nov22.html