Homeland Security for the Port of Baltimore - Essay Example

Homeland Security The Port of Baltimore, in the of Maryland, the eighth largest port of the UnitedStates, handles around 22 million tons of cargo in a year. It imports the highest volume of forest products, gypsum and sugar, farm and construction equipment and is the second-largest exporter of cars. This accounts for extensive activity at the port and the involvement of a wide range of stakeholders, workers and clients. Apart from the usual port activity, the harbor is also a major tourism spot, attracting visitors for cruises and other recreation activities along the waterfront. With so much at stake, it is no doubt crucial to consider all possible threats a place like Port Baltimore may be vulnerable to and be prepared with measures to ensure the safety of the city, the people involved, the property and the security of the whole country. Ports are crucial for both, the security of a country and its trade and economy, as they serve as terminals with access across its boundaries. This opens possibilities for infiltration of illegal activities and products along with the usual trade. Thus ports pose a great threat of certain hazards or sources of possible disaster to the city and the country if left improvised. Of the many threats that enable U.S agencies to take effective measures for the protection of the country’s resources and vulnerable assets, the threat of terrorism has the greatest power, especially in the post 9/11 era. The possibilities of terrorist attacks via shipping ports are innumerable. With only six percent of the nine million containers entering the U.S, (Medalia 2) and fourteen percent of the 140,000 containers at Baltimore being examined for explosives, (Davis and GormanSun), it is evident that these portals to the United States are pretty much available to terrorists wanting to strike. It would be fairly easy to hide explosives in the eight to nine feet high and twenty to forty feet long containers that are used to carry the cargo transported between ports. (Medalia 2) Apart from being easy and susceptible targets, they are also fairly attractive in terms of results for such terrorist groups as well. With inflammable material that can cause a minor explosion to spread over miles, even a ten to twenty kiloton bomb could cause a loss of more than $1.2 trillion from direct and indirect costs resulting from the damage of property and disruption of trade activity. (Medalia 2). The destruction could extend to a radius of one or two miles, thus affecting the city the port is in, resulting in a comprehensive disaster. (Medalia 3). Another equally hazardous threat to the U.S port is Drug smuggling, which was the number one priority before September 11, 2001. The failure in the prohibition of drugs infiltrating the country may result in indirect facilitation of terrorist activities and a larger impact on the society by fuelling crime and disease. (Loy 156). According to statistics provided by Interagency Assessment of Cocaine Movement, most of the transportation of illegal drugs is carried out through the sea. (Loy 157) The third effective threat to U.S coasts and ports is the possibility of damage and injury caused by the mishandling of hazardous materials that have the ability to contaminate and destroy not only cargo and property, but marine life and the environment. All this can inadvertently affect the economy by interference in trade and recreation activities around the water front as well as health of the citizens of the port city. Provided that the forces threatening the security of port today are much better equipped than they were a decade ago, it is necessary to maintain the efficiency of security systems in the context of developing technology and update methodologies to keep up with the unpredictable and surreptitious approach of the possible enemies of the state. (Pike) Coast guard and customs and Border protection are federal agencies with the strongest presence in seaports. After 9/11 coast guard has created the largest port security operation since World War 2. The Port of Baltimore is governed locally by the Maryland Port Administration, which monitors the implementation of the security initiatives and directives issued by it or other federal agencies. The security measures applied at the Port have been affected by a profound up-gradation triggered by the increased need of security in all U.S department post 9/11. The United States Congress passed the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) in November 2002 which made port authorities liable to train workers, ensure minimum penetration of unwanted people by improving vigilance at accesses and reduce instances of hazardous material accidents by the application of codes for handling such cargo (Maryland Portland Administration). As a result the U.S Coast Guard, a component of the U.S Homeland Security Department, has initiated the “largest port security operation since World War II” (Frittelli 12). The new measures include a system based on biometric identity cards which ensures the restriction of unsupervised access to port premises. This is named the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) and is accompanied by the Vehicle Decal Permits and Visitor Access Permits (Maryland Portland Administration), which enables all activities within the port to be carried out under supervision of someone in authority. The TWIC cards are acquired only after the completion of a Security Awareness Training which equips the workers with the ability to identify security lapses and potential threats and technique to overcome such issues. (Maryland Portland Administration). Another effective strategy that the Customs and Border Protection, another component of USHS, has implied to secure U.S borders is the Container Security Initiative (CSI) through which containers are examined for any unauthorized content before departing for the U.S port the cargo is heading towards. (Frittelli 23) Along with increased resistance against known threats, new possibilities of terrorism and other attacks are investigated by acquiring a much wider realm of information with the help of government agencies and joint forces, international allies as well as public, private and commercial spheres. (Pike) The Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), developed by Coast Guard will put present knowledge to use for action against terrorism activities and help develop programs that diminish the possibility of attacks in time. (Frittelli 23) The administration at the Port of Baltimore, in order to enhance protection against terrorist threats after the event of September 2001, founded the Maryland Area Maritime Security Committee. This committee, along with the inputs of U.S Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Transportation, Office of Naval Intelligence and other components of the Department of Homeland Security, has made major breakthroughs in the improvement of the Baltimore port security. The Department of Homeland Security authorizes all measures related to addressing issues within the boundaries of the country. To prevent and protect the American people from threats including that of terrorism, impermeability of borders is as important as eliminating sources of them internally or internationally. To ensure this ‘Border Security’ is dealt with utmost priority, the department has various components that develop specified programs to assist security implementing agencies at the local level. The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Transport Security Administration (TSA), United States Coast Guard (USCG), United States Secret Service and Federal Emergency Management Agency are some of the agencies that assist in port security measures throughout the country. (Homeland Security). The CBP enforces regulations on the trade activities carried out at Port Baltimore, ensuring the imports and export are free from any sort of illegal, dangerous or threatening element or person that may cause harm to U.S citizens and their interests. These include drugs, pests, weapons, etc. (Homeland Security) The Transport Security Administration supervises all modes of transport, including the ships at the port. Terrorism threats to transport with passengers and property at stake have been addressed by this agency as a consequence of 9/11 hijacking. This is done by attempting hundred percent screening of all that passes through the U.S borders via air, land or sea. (Homeland Security) The United States Coast Guard is the most active agency when it comes to security of the port as it deals specifically with coastal borders. This includes not only the ports but the vessels and containers entering the port. The members of the Coastal Guard work with the local administration at the ground level, taking part in instantaneous emergency operations as well as security enhancement strategies. (Homeland Security) The Maryland Port Administration, as described earlier, operates and implements port activities in accordance with the policies of the federal agencies involved in them, it plans effective strategies assessing the situation at the ground level. The Baltimore Port consists of terminals Dundlak and Seargirt, North Locust Point marine Terminal, South Locust Point Marine Terminal, South Locust point Cruise Terminal and Fairfield Marine Terminal which are supervised by security personnel appointed by the Director of Security. These security personnel are assisted by the Maryland Transportation Authority police in enforcing strict control at all access of these terminals. The security schemes and strategies the MPA develops have to be approved by the Captain of the Port, appointed by the U.S Coast Guard, who ensures the procedures are in agreement with the MTSA 2002. (Maryland Portland Administration) Presently the security plans in effect on the Baltimore port are in compliance with codes and assessment of threats. H.G Bud Frank director of security for Maryland Port Administration claims: “Our Facility Security Plan not only focuses on the incoming and outgoing cargo, but also on helping to protect the Port facilities, vessels and people who work here,” (Maryland Portland Administration). The commitment and efficiency of the developing strategies of all federal and local agencies involved in the provision of security at the Port of Baltimore reflect that the best technical and intelligent resources are being put to use to ensure safety for the people of Baltimore City and protection to its commercial, recreation and tourist activities. With the risk of illegal infiltrations and terrorist activities is greater towards the Caribbean Basin and the Eastern Pacific Ocean (Alexander and Richardson) Baltimore Port is comparatively safer, being surrounded by American territory on all sides. However, as concluded in Maritime Terrorism, Risk and Liability: “Terrorism risk does not exist without the existence of threat, the presence of vulnerability, and the potential for consequences”. (Greenberg, Chalk and Willis 143) Safety measures to ensure the ‘potential consequences’ are dealt with before hand i.e. inflammable materials are not used in the construction of containers and auxiliary facilities around the port, and the existence of ‘threat’ is eliminated with the help of effective foreign policies and defense strategies, will support the security measures aimed at diminishing the ‘vulnerability’ of the Baltimore Port. BIBLIOGRAPHY Alexander, Yonah and Tyler B. Richardson. Terror on High Seas: From Piracy to Strategic Challenge. Santa Barbara: Praeger Security International, 2009. print. Davis, Julie Hirschfeld and Siobhan GormanSun. The Baltimore Sun. 19 July 2005. document. 26 April 2012. Frittelli, John F. "Port and Marine Security: Background and Issues for Congress." Vesky, Jonathan P. Port and Maritime Security. New York: Nova Science Publishers, 2008. 11-42. Print. Greenberg, Michael D., et al. Maritime Terrorism: Risk and Liability. Santa Monica, Arlington, Pittsburgh: RAND, 2006. print. Homeland Security, U.S Department of. Homeland Security Department Components. 26 August 2011. 26 April 2012. Loy, Admiral James M. "Border Protection and Customs, Federal Law Enforcement." Terror on High Seas: From Piracy to Strategic Challenge. Santa Barbara, 2009. 155- 186. print. Maryland Portland Administration, Department of Transportation,. Port Security Overview. n.d. document. 26 April 2012. Medalia, Jonathan. "Terrorist Nuclear Attacks on Seaport: threat and response." Vesky, Jonathan P. Port and Maritime Security. New York: Nova Science Publishers, 2008. 1-9. Print. Pike, John. Maritime Domain Awareness [MDA]. 28 July 2011. 26 April 2012. World Port Source, Port of baltimore. n.d. webpage. 26 April 2012. Read More