It's a lot of money, but $300-million doesn't go very far in protecting the nation's seaports against a terrorist attack.
The grants announced recently by Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge are a good early investment in this weak line of defense, but the spending and the new security initiatives still leave the coasts dangerously vulnerable. Ninety-five percent of our nation's overseas cargo is offloaded at America's seaports, and defending them needs to be a higher priority.
The grants will help 199 state and local governments and private companies build on security upgrades made since the Sept. 11 attacks. Ports from New York to Alaska will share $170-million to buy patrol boats, surveillance equipment, command centers and other basic equipment to beef-up perimeter security. Florida fared well: $17.6-million for enhancements in Miami-Dade ($7.6-million), Tampa ($4-million), Manatee County ($2.3-million) and other port communities. Miami and Jacksonville were awarded millions more under a separate, $75-million nationwide program.
Ridge also expanded a program that places American agents in foreign ports to inspect U.S.-bound cargo. Having inspectors in such critical places as Dubai, Turkey and Malaysia will add an important layer to the U.S. line of defense. Inspectors will identify not only suspect cargo, but the broader patterns of global container shipping. This will augment the U.S. early-warning system and help responders on the mainland better prepare. The government will spend another $58-million to analyze how well ports, shipping businesses and federal, state and local authorities coordinate their security procedures.
These investments are welcome, but they meet only a fraction of the ports' security needs. The security planning under way shows that billions of dollars are needed to significantly improve defenses at the nation's 361 commercial seaports.
Many states and localities are picking up the slack - putting money into security improvements, including investments in training and staffing. Local governments certainly have a role to play; the new security gate and screening procedures endorsed by the Tampa Port Authority board shows how serious and involved port communities must be. But security for overseas commerce is a federal obligation, even if much of that defense is executed at the local level.
