Model port security team in peril
Supporters of a port security initiative in Charleston called Project SeaHawk say the program has become a national model that shows how local, state and federal authorities should cooperate in the interests of national security.
The Post and Courier
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., listens as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano speaks at a press conference Monday after touring the facilities at Project SeaHawk.
Sharing resources and information, agencies ranging from the local sheriff to the Coast Guard have been working together to protect the port and monitor cargo for the past six years, operating in the ports, from boats and from a joint command center at the old Charleston Naval base.
Funded with congressional earmarks, the task force has acquired special sonar equipment to monitor the harbor, a dog trained to sniff out large amounts of currency, a detection system to monitor radioactive materials, a network of surveillance cameras and a computer network to let different agencies communicate with each other securely.
There are questions about the program's future, however, as management will be handed off in October from the Department of Justice to the Department of Homeland Security.
Specifically, there's an issue about whether the federal government will continue to pay about $880,000 yearly to subsidize the participation of local law enforcement agencies.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano toured the SeaHawk operations center Monday with federal lawmakers and local officials. Napolitano said she was impressed but that some work would be needed to secure funding for local operations when the program is transferred from the Justice Department.
Previous story
Covering the Waterfront; Local security team is model for other seaports around nation, published 08/11/08
"Unfortunately, when the program transferred from DOJ, the funding did not transfer along," Napolitano said. "That's why we're in this pickle."
The Charleston, North Charleston and Mount Pleasant police departments and the Charleston County Sheriff's Office have personnel and equipment assigned to SeaHawk. The Coast Guard, part of Homeland Security, plays a lead role and will manage the program starting Oct. 1.
"As part of our pilot project, we were able to reimburse some salaries and pay fuel supplements for local officers to be detailed to the project," said Assistant U.S. Attorney and SeaHawk Director Kelly Shackelford. "I think everyone is hoping that this local, state and federal partnership ... will continue."
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said SeaHawk's network of cooperating agencies and its collection of high-tech monitoring equipment has allowed Charleston to collect the best intelligence in the nation about what's coming in and out of the port. He noted that more than 40 percent of the military equipment heading to Afghanistan and Iraq moves through the Port of Charleston.
"Without federal dollars paying for local slots, the program would not exist as it does today," said Graham. He and U.S. Rep. Henry Brown, R-S.C., both said they would work to get the funding in place.
Reach David Slade at 937-5552 or dslade@postandcourier.com.
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Comments
MC29461 (anonymous) says...
Federal agency funding is handled by the US House of Representatives which caused this problem in the first place. Transfer of the program from DOJ to DHS should have included the funding.
July 7, 2009 at 7:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
realamerican (anonymous) says...
The ports don't need protecting.
South Carolina citizens are not terrorists and should not be considered suspects. We didn't need Project Seahawk during the cold war and when we had many nuke subs in Charleston and we don't need it now.
This is how "fiscally conservative" republicans waste tax dollars under the guise of "protecting us". This program is nothing but a money grab so Graham and other politicos can funnel money to their corporate sponsors to come up with pie in the sky programs that are unneeded.
Take all the millions wasted buying all those high dollar boats that the local police now use to harass law abiding citizens and spend it to search more containers and ships BEFORE they get to the USA. If they truly wanted to protect us they would check the ships before their cargo arrives in Charleston.
July 7, 2009 at 7:48 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
scottmcx (anonymous) says...
My family went out in the boat early July 4th to see the Patriots Point fireworks. There were 4 "gov't" boats watching over Cummings Point @ Morris Island.
We went up the Cooper River to just past Westvaco, there is a concrete hardened boat house with about 6-7 hardbottom Coast Gaurd Zodiacs with M-60 machine guns on the bow housed there.
On the way back to the Yorktown we passed two M-60 armed CG Zodiacs in front of Westvaco "on patrol".
The North Charleston Riverfront Park had 4 gov't blue light flashing boats on patrol.
When we anchored at Castle Pinkney to wait for the fireworks we could count 12 sets of flashing blue lights patroling the area. Then, in addition we counted 2 "black" (without flashing lights) gov't boats patroling through the anchored boats.
Certainly, we didn't see every gov't boat patroling the county that day. How many armed boats can we afford? How many do we need?
Happy 4th of July, we live in a Police State and they want MORE!
Let Freedom Ring.
July 7, 2009 at 8:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jk_newhard (anonymous) says...
On the 4th of July, these evil police wanted to keep you safe?!? Why do we need so many police boats?
- drunk boaters
- large % of supplies shipped to Iraq go through Chas port
- large ports attract illegal activity of all kinds. Drugs & smuggling are just 2 that come to mind
- large celebrations attract large amounts of people, which equal lots of troublemakers concentrated in one spot.
July 7, 2009 at 8:43 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
TRODI (anonymous) says...
Posted by scottmcx on July 7, 2009 at 8:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
My family went out in the boat early July 4th to see the Patriots Point fireworks. There were 4 "gov't" boats watching over Cummings Point @ Morris Island.
We went up the Cooper River to just past Westvaco, there is a concrete hardened boat house with about 6-7 hardbottom Coast Gaurd Zodiacs with M-60 machine guns on the bow housed there.
Just past westvaco is a a military dock just past the port docks.when a military ship is working they patrol.submarines still go back to
the docks farther back towards goose creek.they still handle nukes and material.when dealing with our latest weapons being loaded i think the presence of a few gun boats is warranted.
July 7, 2009 at 8:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
scottmcx (anonymous) says...
Since when does it take about 20 of them? I seriously doubt any of the drunk locals needed to be quelled by M-60s.
I've been boating here for 50 years and "rescued" by the CG when a friends boat broke down 100 yards off the old Morris Island Lighthouse. We radioed the CG where we were located. The idiots in the couldn't find it. They were going out to sea thru the jettys and main channel asking if we could see their stupid single blue light in broad daylight at over 5 miles way.
We had to "walk them in" by telling them to "take a right".
To add insult to injury, after towing us thru Dynamite Hole they broke down at Ft Sumter. They sent another vessel to tow both us and the first CG boat back in.
Talking to the crews, they were from AZ, ID and some other land bound states. They had no clue what they were doing in real water.
These are the last folks I want sitting behind an M-60 near my kid and wife.
I'm sure there are lots of CG folks who know that they're doing but these were not them.
July 7, 2009 at 9:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nopartisan_noproblem (anonymous) says...
I don't agree with anything that racist, sexist, woman believes in. This focus is probably on all of the white, republican third-party members that believe in the second amendment and are pro-life, oh and returning war veterans.
Sorry real american, this broad's on your side of the aisle. You can keep her, and take graham with you.
July 7, 2009 at 10:04 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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