The City is battling for tens of millions of dollars in federal counterterrorism funding, trying to pressure the White House and Congress to take the money off the chopping block.

“Mr. Meminger, we are very concerned about the implications to 2017,” said John Miller, the NYPD’s deputy commissioner for counterterrorism and intelligence.

“You see a threat picture that is going up exponentially, and federal funding to counter that threat picture going down, according to the proposed executive federal budget, by 50 percent. That makes no sense,” Miller added.

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner William Bratton have been lobbying against the cutbacks for weeks, but the deadly terror attacks in Belgium on Tuesday gave them a new platform to question the wisdom of cutting funds to a city that is a top target.

“Our cameras, our radiation detectors, our license plate scanners, $50 million of the cost to support that system and expand it is paid for with federal dollars,” Bratton said.

The proposed cut would also take the money that pays for all of the NYPD’s civilian intelligence analysts.

“That is extraordinarily short-sighted and bordering on irresponsible in this particular threat picture,” Miller said.

Bratton pushed the point at this week’s graduation ceremony for eight police dogs that can detect explosives in crowds. He said nearly half a million dollars in federal funds were used to buy and train the K-9’s.

Bratton and his top officials say the federal government must do all that it can to help New York City in its fight against terrorism.

“When you are protecting New York, you are protecting the country,” Bratton said.

“If the cuts do go through, and we don’t think that they will, it’s absolutely irresponsible,” said NYPD Chief of Department James O’Neill. “We’ll find a way to get it done. You know, our job is to keep this city safe, and wherever we have to go and get the money, we’ll do it.”

The White House has said there is plenty of money in the proposal to help New York, and there is an additional $100 million grants competition the city can apply for.

(Source: NY1)