Security Briefs - July 11 - July 17
The Latest Headlines:
- L.A. Cargo Theft Unit Falls to Budget Cuts
- Baggage Screening Could Cause 3-Hour Delays, Lawmakers Warn
- White House Pitches Congress on Security Dept.
- House Votes to Boost Cyber Security
- EU Raises Concerns Over Foreign Cargo Screening
- New Port Plan Will Up Security
- House Committee Votes to Keep Coast Guard in DOT
- House Passes Bill That Would Arm Pilots
- Baggage Screening Could Cause 3-Hour Delays, Lawmakers Warn
L.A. Cargo Theft Unit Falls to Budget Cuts
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is eliminating a special unit designed to combat cargo theft in an area seen as the nation's capital for truck hijackings, the Los Angeles Times reported July 17.Sheriff Lee Baca and other officials are under pressure to cut $60 million in services from the department's budget, the newspaper said. Chief of Detectives Mike Soderberg told the Times the department has to cut all non-lifesaving services, including the unit known as Cargo Cats.
That unit cost the department about $1.5 million a year to operate, but returned more than 10 times that much in stolen freight, trailers and trucks, the paper said. Since 1990, the agency has made more than 1,100 arrests and recovered about $176 million in stolen items.
Baggage Screening Could Cause 3-Hour Delays, Lawmakers Warn
Truckers carrying freight to and from airports could miss delivery deadlines because the Dec. 31 deadline for screening all passenger luggage with bomb-detection machines could cause delays of up to three hours at some airports, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.Fearing the rush to install the proper equipment will choke major airports, House and Senate lawmakers proposed bills Tuesday that would extend the deadline for 25% of U.S. airports that have more complicated architectural layouts, the story said.
Security screening standards for air cargo are not yet as strict, but if planes are delayed while passenger baggage is checked for explosives and weapons, truckers will have to wait for the cargo traveling in the planes’ bellies to arrive.
Skepticism remains among officials whether the Transportation Security Administration will be able to meet the Dec. 31 deadline at the majority of U.S. airports, the Post said. Transport Topics
White House Pitches Congress on Security Dept.
The Bush administration sent several leading Cabinet officers to Capitol Hill Tuesday, hoping to win support for the president’s plan for a Department of Homeland Security, the Associated Press reported.The administration sent secretaries Tommy Thompson (Health and Human Services), Ann Veneman (Agriculture), Norman Mineta (Transportation) and Spencer Abraham (Energy) to testify before the Select House Committee on Homeland Security, AP reported.
The committee is the body within Congress responsible for putting together the legislation to create the proposed department.
The administration is hoping to persuade the group to stick close to Bush’s original vision for the new department.
On Tuesday morning, the current director of homeland security, Tom Ridge, called the White House plan a “roadmap” for taking advantage of the assets of the United States for the protection of the nation, AP said. Transport Topics
The United States is trying to make the Internet more secure because there have been alleged terrorist plans to attack the infrastructure of the country through computers, AP said. The systems terrorists could target include power grids, dams and transit systems, as well as corporate computer systems, AP said.
The bill will allow Internet service providers to disclose information if they believe there is a threat to national security, and to allow the government to temporarily tap and trace Internet use, the story said.
The electronic surveillance tools allow officials to find the source of the communication, not the actual content, AP said. Transport Topics
House Votes to Boost Cyber Security
The U.S. House voted Monday to increase penalties for cyber-attacks and to make it easier for government agencies to gain information about potential Internet threats, the Associated Press reported.
EU Raises Concerns Over Foreign Cargo Screening
The European Union has voiced concerns that new cargo screening practices must not delay shipments, the Associated Press reported Friday.Port operations affect truckers carrying freight to and from the nation’s seaports.
After Sept. 11, the United States has made deals with countries in Europe and Asia to send screeners to prevent the shipment of weapons into the country.
A spokesman for the EU countries said they are worried U.S. screening measures will slow traffic at harbors, AP reported.
Three additional countries, France, Belgium and the Netherlands, have agreed to allow U.S. screeners to handle freight. U.S. Customs has already secured similar customs deals with Canada and Singapore, the story said. Transport Topics
New Port Plan Will Up Security
Seaport operators representing more than 70% of the world’s container traffic joined Thursday to help introduce a plan to improve the safety and security of containers and their contents.ince the Sept. 11 attacks, there have been fears terrorists could smuggle weapons into the country through ports.
Hutchison-Whampoa Ltd, PSA Corporation Ltd. and P&O Ports are leading the plan, called "Smart and Secure Tradelanes." Implementation will begin immediately and is expected to be operational by the end of the year.
Under the plan, automated information technology infrastructure will link ports such as Singapore, Rotterdam and Hong Kong with major U.S. ports such as Seattle/Tacoma, which will be the first domestic port to roll out. It will provide better tracking and security of containers entering the United States. Transport Topics
(Click here for the full press release.)
House Committee Votes to Keep Coast Guard in DOT
The House Transportation Committee voted to keep the Coast Guard within the Transportation Department, rather than include it in a new Homeland Security Department, a statement from the committee said July 11.The Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency would remain separate from the new department under an amendment passed by the committee in a vote on July 11.
"The legislation states that the primary mission of this department is to prevent and respond to terrorist attacks," committee Chairman Don Young (R-Alaska) said. "It is very likely that all other important missions of the Coast Guard and FEMA willl become secondary to the effort to combat terrorism."
Earlier this week, members of Congress voiced strong opposition to parts of President Bush’s plan to create a Homeland Security Department, which, as it stands, would make the most drastic changes to the executive branch in 50 years, the Washington Post reported Thursday.
All of the recommendations made by House panels will be reviewed by a special committee chaired by Majority Leader Richard Armey (R-Texas), which will write the bill that will later be put to the congressional vote, the Post reported.
Many lawmakers are striving to finalize the legislation for the new department by the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, USA Today reported. Transport Topics
