Maritime Transportation Security Act, SAFE Port Act, and Small Vessel Security Strategy

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Discussion Questions
Offering security at the United States’ water-based ports of entry and boundaries is a critical step to enhance the national safety of our land-based ports of entry and barriers. Kimball (2019) avers that water transport is essential since it accounts for 90 percent of trade globally. After the 9/11attack, President Bush endorsed the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA) to improve the nation’s watercourses security from terrorist attacks (Young & Gordon, 2021). President’s Bush ground-breaking piece of legislation contained several security enhancements to maritime port authorities, vessels, and facility operators (Gasperetti, 2018). Comprised of six essential parts, the MTSA required enhancements such as conducting security threat and vulnerability assessments, identifying the Captain of Port, implementing security plans, and expanding security control of the Outer Continental Shelf.
Signed into law in 2006, the SAFE Port Act is another piece of directive enacted to enhance maritime and port security. President Bush broke down the SAFE Port Act into three main aspects: 1) using technology to strengthen the physical security measures at ports, 2) protecting the country from threats such as terror smuggled nuclear devices, 3) recovery of the maritime base after a potential terrorist attack (“President Bush signs Safe Port Act,” 2006). The introduction of the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) is one factor that enhanced physical security measures through technology. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) supports the idea of issuing port workers’ cards with biometric controls, as long as they do not pose a security threat. Another facet was the Container Security Initiative (CSI), which aimed to inspect and screen imported containers to America through a non-intrusive nuclear and radiological detection device. Accordingly, these efforts and other factors enshrined in the SAFE Port Act aim to enhance maritime security.
Young and Gordon (2021) aver that the SAFE Port Act will facilitate the creation of standards and equipment that can help examine imported containers at the port through radiation. The act grants a port the ability to detect security threats. Besides, the regulation contains procedures that can help counter a disaster while communicating with relevant authorities, such as the local community, state and federal government, and the private sector. The Safe Port Act grants ports the ability to identify risks before they occur, giving them the upper hand on security. The MTSA aims to stop substantial loss of life, environmental destruction, disturbance of the transport...