The
New Jersey State Police swept into Bayonne last week in a demonstration of their
ability to check the local waterways, part of a plan for additional security
and patrols around the Peninsula development at Bayonne Harbor.
This
is part of an exerted effort to meet new stricter federal regulations.
“The federal government put stricter security regulations into place as of July 1,” said Nancy Kist, executive director of the Bayonne Local Redevelopment Agency, which owns and oversees the development on the Peninsula.
The arrival of the State Police coincided with an effort by the Port of New York and New Jersey to meet the July 1 deadline for increasing security. The new codes require port facilities, large ships, and the companies that unload the vessels to have detailed plans to prevent terrorism.
A report by the federal General Accounting Office last year showed that only about 7 percent of the 360 U.S. ports met higher federal security standards. As part of an international agreement signed in 2002 by the United States and other nations, ports will provide a new higher level of security.
The percentage of secure ports has risen over the last year leading up to the deadline, according to the International Maritime Organization. The Organization says that of 8,000 ports worldwide, more than half have approved security plans.
Assemblyman Louis Manzo (D-32nd Dist.) has been a sharp critic of plans to put port facilities on the Peninsula, citing security as one reason for his opposition. He has feared that the containers pose a serious threat.
Currently, only cruise ships operate out of Bayonne, but container port operations could begin as early as 2007 – with nearly a dozen of the top international companies expressing interest in operating here.
Kist said security for Cape Liberty – currently the only active port facility on the Peninsula – has been provided by Royal Caribbean, which operates weekly cruise ships there.
“Their plan has been approved by the Coast Guard,” Kist said.
Port security includes the installation of fencing and staffing access points with security guards.
The state police – in a demonstration of security – came to Bayonne to check the bulk heads and other areas of the port facilities at the Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor. Under New Jersey’s Homeland Security initiatives, the New Jersey State police will begin regular patrols of the harbor using sonar and other equipment to detect possible problems beneath the port berths or underwater. But the U.S. Coast Guard is apparently taking the lead in defending the harbor with increased patrols of its own.
New regulations mean checking ships
Under new federal guidelines, local security officials can board ships to verify security before the ships dock.
Coast Guard officials said they have begun this process in U.S. ports, including those in the New York area. Under the provisions of the 2002 international agreement, the Coast Guard can refuse to allow a vessel to dock. Ships must meet a host of new requirements. Each ship must have a security officer, an alarm system, and a way to confirm the identification of those who board the vessel.
“All the people on board must be credentialed,” Kist said. “And this pertains to any ship. A vessel which left here last week can’t come back here unless it meets the new standards. Documentation must include who makes up the crew and where they are from.”
Access to certain parts of each ship must also be restricted, such as to the engine room and bridge.
According to Coast Guard Captain Tim Crowley, about 10 foreign ships a day will be boarded and checked in New York harbor.
Ships and port facilities are not alone in the new security arrangements. According to federal guidelines, local refineries located near ports have to show they have met new stricter security standards. q