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Survey: Cities fear biological, chemical attacks

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A year after the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, a new survey of U.S. cities finds their officials most worried about possible biological, chemical and cyber terror attacks.

Biological threats were cited by 82 percent of all cities polled, chemical attacks by 81 percent and cyber attacks by 80 percent.

But the survey of 725 cities also found large gaps between terror concern and anti-terrorism planning.

Despite fears of assaults on their computer systems, only 26 percent of cities addressed the issue in their anti-terrorism plans.

And while 67 percent of all cities cited concern about dirty bombs -- conventional explosives wrapped in some kind of radioactive material -- only 29 percent of the cities have a plan to handle that possible scenario.

The survey, conducted by the National League of Cities, was taken in July and August.

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"Cities are the natural targets of this evolving terrorist threat," said NLC President Karen Anderson.

About 60 percent of all the cities polled were concerned they could be hit by an airplane used as a weapon, such as the jets that crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Seventy-six percent of large cities, those with populations over 100,000, were fearful of airplane suicide attacks.

Fear levels about all terrorism threats and planning rates for such threats were higher when only larger cities were considered.

About two-thirds of all cities said they needed funding to pay for equipment and training to support local homeland security efforts.

"Even though cities are the very center of homeland security, they seem to be an afterthought when it comes to federal and state priorities for providing funding and communicating key information," Anderson said.

"We have immediate needs such as fixing radio interoperability problems, repayment of local police for guarding airports, firefighter grants, and other homeland security needs that the Congress and president need to act on," Anderson said. "Funds for these urgent priorities were cut in the 2002 supplemental spending bill."

Cities did report greater cooperation with other levels of government, the private sector and nonprofits since September 11.

The poll found the top needs of all cities is not terrorism prevention, but the more traditional issue of better public safety and crime prevention. Sixty-two percent of all cities, and 69 percent of large cities put that as their top issue.

It was followed by economic conditions and investment in infrastructure such as roads and sewers. Terrorism prevention and readiness needs were in fourth place, cited by 34 percent of all cities.

However, terrorism concerns was in second place among large cities, tied with economic conditions.

The survey also found only one in five cities have integrated the color coded Homeland Security Advisory System into local planning efforts.

The NLC represents governments of 1,800 cities and towns.