Port Security and the Homeland

Port Security and the Homeland Security Act of 2002

The direct effects of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 on port security in the United States are not as straightforward as might be thought. The Act itself does not devote any specific title or section to the issue of port security, instead making far more general provisions regarding customs officials and organizations, border security issues, and transportation security (HAS 2002). The response to the spirit and intent of the Act, however, and of the event underlying the act -- the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 -- has been more measurable.

One of the primary effects of the Act and the attacks in this regard has been the refocusing of energies and efforts to an examination of port vulnerabilities and corrective measures. Port security was not on the forefront of most authorities' minds in the period leading up to September 11, and though some would argue that it is still not the primary concern of the multiple interests involved in maintaining port security there has been a marked increase of governmental attention to port security at all levels, especially the federal level (Hecker 2002). Assessment, however, has proven far easier than implementation.