Security Briefs - March 15-21
The Latest Headlines:
- Kenworth's New Truck Comes With Security Features
- N.Y. Border to Add Agents
- Maritime Security Bill Approved by House Committee
- Senators Want to Arm Border Troops
- Pentagon Tow Truck Passenger to Be Deported
- Bush Mulling Agency Merger
- White House Wants $25 Billion More for Security
- Border Crossing Operators Seek Security Guidance
- Port Officials Say They Need More Security Funding
- Ridge Should Testify, Some GOP Members Say
- Man Gets Six Months in Hazmat License Scam
- N.Y. Border to Add Agents
Kenworth's New Truck Comes With Security Features
Kenworth Truck Co., a division of truck manufacturer Paccar Inc., unveiled a new truck with high-tech security features built, the Seattle Business Journal reported Wednesday.The T800 High-Tech Truck checks a driver's fingerprint on starting, alerts the dispatcher and won't kick into higher gear if the print doesn't match. In addition, a GPS satellite-tracking system continuously monitors the vehicle's weight and route.
Five cameras are also mounted along the rig for a complete view of what's outside, including a night vision camera for seeing 1,500 feet ahead, the article said. Transport Topics
N.Y. Border to Add Agents
New York’s border crossings are to get 62 additional customs officials, according to Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.).The current Treasury-Postal appropriations bill provides $28.1 million for about 308 new positions along the U.S.-Canada border. The extra staffing is expected to decrease waiting times for motor vehicles entering the United States.
U.S. Customs Service spokesman Dean Boyd, citing security policy, refused to say how the agency is allocating new positions in New York or other northern border states. He said Customs is working as fast as it can to recruit and hire people for the new slots. Eric Kulisch
This story appeared in the March 18 print edition of Transport Topics.
Maritime Security Bill Approved by House Committee
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unanimously approved the Maritime Transportation Antiterrorism Act on Wednesday, the Journal of Commerce reported.The bill would force the Transport Security Administration to create an anti-terrorism cargo system by June 2003.
In addition, it calls for the evaluation of foreign and domestic ports to ensure there are proper security measures in place so the flow of international trade remains safe.
After being approved, the bill was sent to the House floor, the article said. Transport Topics
Senators Want to Arm Border Troops
A bipartisan group of senators are asking President Bush to reverse a Reconstruction Era statute and allow National Guard troops at the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders to carry weapons, the Albuquerque Journal reported Wednesday.The National Guard has been temporarily called to the borders to help ensure everyone's safety while trying to keep a smooth flow of trade between the three countries.
The statue says that troops on federal deployment are prohibited from domestic law enforcement, the article said. However, the guard would be allowed to carry weapons if they had been called out by governors.
A group of senators called the troops "sitting ducks" along the borders and asked Bush in a letter to consider arming the guards. The National Governors Association and Adjutant General Association has also urged the president to arm the guards.
Critics of the idea say that placing armed guards at the border will create tensions with both Canada and Mexico. Transport Topics
Pentagon Tow Truck Passenger to Be Deported
One of the men from a tow truck that drove through a security checkpoint at the Pentagon has been ordered to leave the country, a Washington-area television station reported Tuesday.After the Sept. 11 attack on the Pentagon, trucks were banned from certain roads around the headquarters of the United States military.
On Feb. 11, guards stopped a truck carrying two men. The passenger, a 23-year-old national of the United Arab Emirates, was found to have several forms of identification that did not belong to him, WJLA television reported.
The driver of the truck was not charged in the incident. The passenger entered a guilty plea to charges of document fraud on Monday and was sentenced to a year of probation and was ordered back to the UAE, WJLA said. Transport Topics
Bush Mulling Agency Merger
The Bush administration is considering a reorganization of several federal agencies charged with protecting the nation's borders, merging them into one streamlined entity, the Washington Post reported Tuesday.Advisers in the Bush administration recommended that the president support the merger between the Customs Service, Border Patrol and Immigration and Naturalization Service.
The restructuring would streamline the federal government’s function in border security and coordinate the efforts of thousands of workers in several departments, the Post said.
Such coordination and cooperation could improve the efficiency of travel and trade across borders, and allow for quick shipments of goods in and out of the United States. Trucks carry large numbers of goods to Canada and Mexico – two of the nation’s largest trading partners -- as well as goods from overseas.
Senior officials were scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss and finalize the merger proposal, the Post said. Consummating the merger has been a priority of Tom Ridge, director of homeland security, since he took office. Transport Topics
White House Wants $25 Billion More for Security
The White House, facing rising costs for maintaining the war on terrorism, is preparing to request as much $25 billion in additional funding during this fiscal year, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.Included in that figure is $4.5 billion for the Transportation Department, which is still looking to bolster security, particularly at airports.
There would also be additional funding given to the Pentagon and several other departments involved in the war on terrorism.
Last month, the Bush administration said it would only need an extra $8.5 billion to cover the country’s overseas anti-terror efforts and the Pentagon’s share of the homeland defense effort. That figure has since grown to $12.7 billion, the Journal said. Transport Topics
Border Crossing Operators Seek Security Guidance
Operators of bridges and tunnels at the U.S.-Canada border are looking for direction from their respective governments on how to secure cross-border trade, the Journal of Commerce reported Monday.Security operators are also looking for significant funding for projects – saying that the expenses associated with improving infrastructure and information technology are too much to bear on their toll revenue alone.
Stephen Mayer, president of the Bridge Tunnel Operators’ Association, said at their annual meeting in Albany, N.Y., that many of the crossings are old and are being worn down rapidly, the JoC reported. The BTOA represents the nine major crossings between New York and Michigan. Transport Topics
