|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
 |
 |
    |
|
|
|||
 |
|
||
|
|||
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
U.S. Response II: GAO Says Port Security Needs Long-Term Plan By David McGlinchey The Bureau of Customs and Border Protection — part of the Homeland Security Department — has not yet managed a smooth transition in port security efforts from “short-term focus to a long-term strategic approach,” according to the GAO report. The GAO called for a comprehensive plan for developing a skilled port security workforce. Last year, U.S. customs officials launched the Container Security Initiative, which posted agents in foreign ports to screen high-risk shipments for weapons of mass destruction before they departed for the United States. Under the CSI program, more than 10 nations have agreed to participate in the program, according to the Customs and Border Control Web site (see GSN, July 23). More than 1,700 companies also agreed to join the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT), under which firms improve their own security in exchange for smoother access to U.S. ports. Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) applauded the GAO findings and said port security relies on well-trained customs officials. “The success of these programs, and our trust in them, depends largely on the quality, training, oversight, and retention, of the people on the ground who administer them. Going forward, we have to have a good roadmap in place. It’s that simple,” he said in a statement. The GAO called for customs officials to develop “human capital plans that clearly describe how CSI and C-TPAT will recruit, train and retain staff to meet their growing demands as they expand to other countries and implement new program elements.” The plan also called on the Homeland Security Department to develop benchmarks for the two programs to measure their progress. “The measures should be used to determine the future direction of these Customs programs,” the report says. In addition, the GAO said that Homeland Security officials should build strategic plans to identify the programs’ goals and reach them. The Customs and Border Protection bureau agreed with the GAO report and said it was already addressing the problems. “The Office of International Affairs has initiated action to develop a program to recruit, train and retain the staff necessary to effectively and efficiently carry out the mission of the CSI,” the bureau said in a statement. Grassley said he was encouraged by the fact that customs officials agreed with the GAO assessment. “The additional steps identified in the GAO report are crucial to the successful management and long-term success and oversight of these programs,” he said.
| ||||||||||
Back to top
