FDLE puts a price tag on security

The agency is calling for $20-million in safety measures such as new photo scanners at driver's license bureaus.

By ALISA ULFERTS

© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 11, 2001

TALLAHASSEE -- Shatterproof glass at the Capitol, photo scanners at driver's license bureaus and more money to combat bioterrorism are among the top security measures Florida needs to put in place right away, the state's top cop told lawmakers Wednesday.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner James T. "Tim" Moore outlined for state representatives the top eight of his 26 recommendations on how the state can improve its security. Those eight account for about $13.5-million of the $20-million or so that will be needed for all the improvements, Moore said. Much of that money has already been found within various agencies' budgets, he added.

The first priority would be to create seven regional antiterrorism task forces, including one in Tampa. The task forces would draw on antidrug and antigang task forces already in place.

Further, the state should train local police and emergency personnel who are the first to respond to accidents how to spot and handle things such as biological and chemical attacks. Building a statewide database of suspected terrorists, identifying and protecting critical infrastructure such as nuclear plants, and using federal grants to buy equipment for handling hazardous materials also made Moore's priority list.

When it came to discussing the additional $3-million Moore wants to give the Department of Health to respond to bioterrorism, Moore paused.

"You know what's going on across the country and in our state," Moore said, referring to Palm Beach County, where three people were exposed to the deadly bacterium anthrax. One died.

Another priority recommendation is to buy scanners for driver's license offices to make copies of documentation whenever someone uses a foreign form of identification to apply for a license. As many as eight airline hijackers got Florida licenses or state-issued IDs since May of this year, which they used to help them move about the country and prepare for the Sept. 11 attacks.

If the state can't verify the identification or has other concerns about the applicants, a temporary identification card without a picture could be issued, Moore said.

Although additional exemptions to Florida's public records law got much discussion during the first meeting of the new House Select Committee, Moore did not name that as an immediate priority.

Moore, House Speaker Tom Feeney and Gov. Jeb Bush all have said they would support closing legislative committee meetings to the public when appropriate to discuss security concerns. That is a position opposed by open government advocates.

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