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Tampa Bay opens its purses, backpacks
By STEPHEN HEGARTY
© St. Petersburg Times, At Busch Gardens on Monday, purses, diaper bags and backpacks were searched at the front gate. One woman had to return to her car to put away a can of pepper spray. At the Port of St. Petersburg, visitors are no longer welcome. The Coast Guard is patrolling the harbor to keep out small vessels. In the words of port director Michael Perez, the port is in "complete lockdown mode." Business people entering the parking garage at the SouthTrust building in Tampa had to produce a photo ID and explain where they were headed and when they would return to their car. The tightening of security after last week's terrorist attacks already is in evidence around the Tampa Bay area. While some airport delays are to be expected, residents simply going about daily business now can expect lines, security searches and ID requests. "You're going to see the heightened security everywhere now," said state Rep. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, former staff director of a U.S. Senate subcommittee that studied terrorism. "If all this does is change air travel, we have failed. We are a nation of soft targets." There is more to come. Especially in large public gatherings. When the Devil Rays return to Tropicana Field on Sept. 27 against the Toronto Blue Jays, fans can expect to have purses, diaper bags and fanny packs searched. Backpacks, coolers and other large bags won't be allowed inside. Officials at Raymond James Stadium and at the Ice Palace have the luxury of time. Neither will host any events until later this month. The Bucs next home game is Oct. 7. The Lightning will host an exhibition game Sept. 28. The University of South Florida football team plays at Raymond James on Sept. 29. "We're lucky; we can afford to watch what's happening around the country," said Henry Saavedra, executive director of the Tampa Sports Authority. The authority plans to meet next week to discuss plans, which are likely to include bag searches and bomb-sniffing dog sweeps before the stadium openings. The National Football League and Major League Baseball released security guidelines on Monday. The NFL called for parking areas to be moved away from stadiums, and for strict screening at stadium entrances, meaning that fans will have to leave tailgate parties and head for seats much earlier. The NFL is calling the measures the strictest since the 1991 Super Bowl held in Tampa during the Persian Gulf War. School security will be the topic this morning when Florida school superintendents join Education Commissioner Charlie Crist in a conference call with Florida Department of Law Enforcement director Tim Moore. The security measures taken since Tuesday clearly are designed with safety in mind. Security experts say they also are designed with the appearance of safety in mind. "Searches of individuals can only go so far," said K.C. Poulin, chief executive officer of Critical Intervention Services, a Clearwater private security firm that saw business soar after last week's terrorist attacks. Poulin said that while highly visible security measures make people feel safe, their effectiveness is questionable. The biggest problem, he said, is that often the people charged with searching bags and looking for suspicious people are poorly trained and poorly paid. Many of the security changes that might prove most effective are being done out of public view. Both Florida Power Corp. and Florida Power & Light Co. said the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission ordered them to its highest level of alert after Tuesday's terrorist attacks. They responded with tighter security at plant gates and stepped up other security measures they declined to disclose, especially at nuclear plants. Hillsborough County Water Department director Mike McWeeny said his department has implemented additional security, but would not discuss it in detail. "As far as what the public will notice, when they turn on their tap, the water comes out -- that's about it," McWeeny said. Despite the inconveniences, the public seems to be taking it in stride. "With everything that's going on, I think it's great," said Rhonda Thompson, who slipped into Busch Gardens around 4 p.m. Monday with her 8-year-old daughter. She was immediately asked to open her black purse. "Anything that gives people a sense of being safe makes me feel better," she said. Rep. Gelber said the good cheer is to be expected -- for now. "At a time like this, people are willing to put up with disruptions," said Gelber, a former assistant U.S. attorney. "The real question is, where will we be in a year or two? The American people have a short attention span." - Staff writers Melanie Ave, Scott Barancik, Bryan Gilmer and Kelly Ryan contributed to this report.
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