U.S. Response:  Washington Bolsters Security Force on Canadian Border

The new U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection has added 375 agents to the force defending the U.S.-Canadian border, the Washington Times reported today (see GSN, March 31).

“Homeland security is our top priority,” said Robert Bonner, the head of the newly created bureau.

The new deployment, which is described as permanent, raises the total U.S. security force on the Canadian border to 1,000 agents.

 “We need the Border Patrol now more than ever to do all we can to make sure terrorists and terrorist weapons, including weapons of mass destruction, are not permitted to be smuggled into the United States between our ports of entry,” Bonner said (Jerry Seper, Washington Times, July 7).

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U.S. Response I:  Absence of Terrorist “Chatter” Leaves Threat Level Unchanged Over Holiday

U.S. officials say they have no plans to raise the nation’s terror alert level over the Fourth of July holiday because terrorist “chatter” is low and no specific threats have been made on U.S. interests at home or abroad, the New York Times reported today (see GSN, July 2).

The government also has no plans to issue private warnings to national or local law enforcement agencies as they did one year ago.  Currently, the threat level is at “yellow,” or “elevated.”

“We have no intelligence at this time that leads us to raise the threat level,” said Gordon Johndroe, chief spokesman for Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge.  “We know state and local law enforcement and appropriate federal agencies will have a large presence at all the major gatherings around the country,” he added (David Johnston, New York Times, July 3).

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U.S. Response II:  U.S. to Test Hazardous Material Shipment Technologies

The U.S. Transportation Department’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced yesterday the start of a field operational test designed to evaluate the costs and benefits of transportation security technologies to safeguard hazardous material shipments (see GSN, May 6).

The test is set to involve 100 trucks equipped with a variety of existing security technologies.  The test will evaluate the capabilities of technologies such as driver verification, vehicle tracking, off-route and stolen vehicle alerts and remote vehicle disabling in the event of a terrorist attack, according to a Transportation press release.  A prototype test is scheduled to occur later this month, with full-scale testing set to begin in August and to be completed by late 2004, the release said. 

“We must build on our continuous efforts to ensure the security of the more than 800,000 shipments of hazardous materials hauled on U.S. highways every day,” Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said.  “This operational test will help improve security and will help spur innovative technologies for safeguarding hazardous materials in the future,” he said (U.S. Transportation Department release, July 2).

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U.S. Response I:  Homeland Security Department Issues Interim Maritime Security Regulations

By Mike Nartker
Global Security Newswire

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Homeland Security Department yesterday announced new interim regulations to improve maritime and port security (see GSN, June 5).

The new regulations are expected to affect 10,000 maritime vessels, 5,000 facilities and 40 outer continental shelf facilities, such as tank vessels, large passenger vessels, offshore oil platforms and port facilities that handle dangerous kinds of cargo, according to a Homeland Security press release.  Under the new regulations, vessel and facility operators and owners will be required to conduct vulnerability assessments and develop security plans. 

During a press briefing yesterday, U.S. Coast Guard Chief of Staff Vice Adm. Thad Allen said that while some U.S. port facilities are close to completing their own security assessments, others are lagging behind.

“There are some ports and some industries and some facilities where they were right on top of this after 9/11,” Allen said.  “Others are a little further back.  And it’s going to be a challenge to get everybody kind of on the same piece of music, if you will,” he said.

The regulations set a deadline of Dec. 31 for security plans to be submitted for Coast Guard approval, Allen said.  As of July 1, 2004, all regulated vessels and facilities must have their approved security plans in place, he said.

To provide “flexibility” and to “encourage” innovation, the Homeland Security release said, industry organizations may submit alternative security programs for Coast Guard approval.

The new regulations also require vessels and facilities to implement new security measures based on three scalable security levels.  Such measures could include passenger and baggage screening, security patrols, personnel identification procedures and the installation of security equipment.  The new security levels — yellow, orange and red — are meant to match the national terrorism threat alert levels, Homeland Security Undersecretary Asa Hutchinson said yesterday.

A Coast Guard official said that passenger and body screening would likely only be implemented when the U.S. terrorism threat alert level was at “orange,” or high, and only on certain vessels, the Associated Press reported.

The new regulations require that an individual be designated to be responsible for each vessel or facility’s security program.  In addition, the regulations also outline qualifications for security officers and require all personnel to receive training to be able to implement security plans.

The regulations designate Coast Guard captains of the ports as federal maritime security coordinators with the authority to oversee and direct security activities at ports.  In addition, the regulations also establish area maritime security committees, consisting of members of U.S., state and local agencies, industry representatives and others.  These committees are required to conduct vulnerability assessments and to develop security plants for each of the 361 U.S. ports, as well as an annual security exercise, according to the Homeland Security release.

Under the regulations, certain vessels will be required to install Automatic Identification System equipment, which instantly sends ship information to other ships and to shore-based agencies.  Currently, only a “very small percentage” of ships have such equipment installed, a Homeland Security official said yesterday.  “Pretty much all” international vessels, however, will be required to have AIS equipment installed and operational by the end of next year, the official said.

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge praised the new regulations yesterday.

“With 95 percent of our nation’s international cargo carried by ship, port security is critical to ensuring our nation’s homeland and economic security,” Ridge said in a statement.  “The port security measures we are putting in place, both here at home and abroad, are about expanding our capabilities — strengthening a vitally important system with additional layers of defense,” he said.

The Coast Guard has estimated that the costs of improving port security will be more than $7 billion over the next 10 years.  Hutchinson said yesterday that $350 million is expected to be made available this year for port security grants to help offset the costs of the new regulations.  He also said, however, that vessel operators and owners will have to cover the bulk of the costs in conducting their vulnerability assessments.

“There have been some pilot programs, some funding available,” Hutchinson said.  “But it is a shared responsibility, and so there will be a burden that will fall on the private sector,” he added.

The interim regulations, designed to implement the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, were published without prior public comment, Allen said.  Even so, Homeland Security held seven public meetings, with more than 2,100 industry, state and local representatives attending, he said.  The department is now conducting a monthlong comment period, with final rules expected to be published in October and set to go into effect 30 days later, Allen said. 

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U.S. Response II:  Police Say Local Response to Terror Alerts Is Muted

Stretched thin by false alarms and tight budgets, some U.S. police chiefs are increasingly disregarding federal terror alerts, USA Today reported today (see GSN, June 3).

“There is a broad consensus that the (federal alert) system just isn’t effective,” said Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske said.  “It isn’t working,” he added.

Law enforcement officials have complained that the Homeland Security Department raises terror alerts but do not give detailed guidance to local authorities.

“They are frustrated with the lack of specificity in the threat information being passed on, and how they should respond,” said Miami Police Chief John Timoney.  “Personally, I think the alerts serve as a good reminder that the enemy is still out there.  But some (chiefs) are saying they are not going to do anything differently anymore when a new threat alert goes out,” he added.

In Oregon, Portland police went to the second highest alert status — orange — during protests over the planned U.S. invasion of Iraq.  The heightened alert cost the city $1.2 million in overtime costs, USA Today reported.  In May, during another orange alert, the city limited its response and incurred only $6,000 in overtime costs.  In the end, financial considerations and tight budgets could dictate security efforts.

“You take the orange (alert) with a grain of salt,” said Portland Police Chief Mark Kroeker.  “It’s a pragmatic approach mixed with the current fiscal crisis,” he added.

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said local law enforcement divisions should pay close attention to alerts issued from Washington.

“God forbid something happens in a major city and you didn’t go up” to a higher alert level, Ridge said last month.  “We can’t mandate it, but at least I am hopeful that under these circumstances that (state) homeland security advisers will think twice about not doing something,” he added (Kevin Johnson, USA Today, July 2).

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