Protecting U.S. Maritime Ports: Security in New Orleans

Introduction

Following the terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001, federal, state, and local agencies revised their security plans to protect cities and ports from potential future attacks. Among the most vulnerable areas are the 361 ports in the United States, most of which rely on receiving shipments from foreign sources. This paper reviews the steps that should be taken — to ensure safety for the physical facility and equipment, for workers, and for the public in the surrounding community — when a new port is being proposed for the New Orleans area.

Recommendations for Securing U.S. Port Safety

Stephen Caldwell was acting Director of Homeland Security in 2006 when the GAO examined the procedures for keeping ports safe, and he testified before the House Subcommittee on Government Management, Finance, and Accountability. His recommendations apply to any new port facility to be constructed in New Orleans. Caldwell called for "information sharing between federal officials and nonfederal officials" — some of it classified — that will enable the U.S. Coast Guard, which bears ultimate responsibility for port protection, to carry out its mission effectively.

Caldwell also testified that it is very important at every port to establish "operational centers." Those centers must include: (a) the latest leading-edge technologies — computers, databases, networks, and sensors — in order to monitor all approaching vessels, their home port, their cargo, and their history; (b) established security departments representing all valid stakeholders in that region; and (c) linkages to all federal, state, local, and private-sector participants (Caldwell, 2006).

Communication and Coordination Among Agencies

On the subject of effective communication among port security agencies, Captain Dennis L. Bryant of the U.S. Coast Guard noted that such communication had historically been "highly inconsistent" prior to the terrorist attacks (Bryant, 2001, p. 19). Writing in the journal Traffic World, Bryant emphasized that before 2001, captains guiding container ships and other vessels into port — including those heading for New Orleans — did a reasonable job notifying "local facilities and local agents of their requirements." However, Bryant acknowledged that critical information did not always reach the ship's master or the home office for an "extended period," and that this level of communication needed to improve substantially. Subsequent to Bryant's editorial, new policies and processes were put in place, and communication among agencies has seen considerable improvement.

Conclusion

The security of ports rests primarily in the hands of the U.S. Coast Guard. The agency has the best available technologies to help it respond to terrorist threats and maintains a constant watch for suspicious activities. Any new port constructed in New Orleans must be fully aligned with Department of Homeland Security guidelines, and all procedures for vetting employees — whether civilian or military — must conform to federal standards. Instant communication with all stakeholders and with Coast Guard central headquarters on Coast Guard Island is essential. Furthermore, the new New Orleans port must meet rigorous structural standards, as it will be built directly in the path of hurricanes, which strike the Louisiana coastline with alarming regularity.

Works Cited

Bryant, Dennis L. (2001). Protecting U.S. Ports. Traffic World, 265(40), p. 19.

Caldwell, Stephen L. (2006). Maritime Security: Information-Sharing Efforts are Improving. Testimony before the Subcommittee on Government Management, Finance, and Accountability, Committee on Government Reform, House of Representatives. U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Retrieved June 24, 2012, from

Nolte, Carl. (2005). Pacific Coast / U.S. security now a Coast Guard job / "Vessels of interest" being tracked by bay's military post. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 24, 2012, from http://0-web.ebscohost.com.