Security challenges in United States sea ports: an overview
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Authors
Leonard, Timothy J.
Gallo, Philip
Véronneau, Simon
Subjects
Maritime security
North American ports
Custom inspections
Shipping containers
North American ports
Custom inspections
Shipping containers
Advisors
Date of Issue
2015-06
Date
Publisher
Springer
Language
Abstract
The maritime industry is a crucial link to transport billions in goods each year to and from countries throughout the world. This historical mode of transportation has steadily grown in importance, sustaining worldwide economic growth and the United States economy. It is generally agreed that an attack against an American port would have a long-lasting economic impact for the United States and its trading partners. Today’s shipping container is the primary asset used to move cargo aboard commercial shipping vessels. The containers are ubiquitous in our society with currently more than 34 million 20-ft equivalent units (TEU) in use around the globe today (World Shipping Council 2014). The typical container used in shipping is a 20- or 40-ft enclosed container. These intermodal containers have greatly enhanced the transportation industry but have also created immense security susceptibilities. Millions of these containers enter the U.S. every year and only small percentages can be inspected. These containers have posed a significant opportunity for terrorist activities to employ weapons of mass destruction or biohazards within the continental United States. This paper provides an overview of the current state and identifies what public and private security initiative enhancements should take place in order to protect the United States economy and homeland against terroristic activities.
Type
Article
Description
The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12198-015-0155-9
Series/Report No
Department
School of Business & Public Policy (GSBPP)
Organization
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
Citation
Leonard, Timothy J., Philip Gallo, and Simon Véronneau. "Security challenges in United States sea ports: an overview." Journal of Transportation Security 8.1-2 (2015): 41-49.
Distribution Statement
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.