Seaport security: U.S. government agency finds some holes

Patrick Burnson, Executive Editor -- Logistics Management, 5/29/2008 12:26:00 PM

WASHINGTON—A recent report issued by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) stated that despite the introduction of new inspection and security procedures, U.S. seaports are still vulnerable to terrorist attacks.

According to GAO spokesman, Chuck Young, the director of homeland security and justice discovered that some of the “human factor” problems keep the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) at a standstill. Young told LM that another report had been written two years ago with similar findings.

“Although Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has developed performance measures for facilitating the flow of commerce, it has not developed performance measures to assess the effectiveness of C-TPAT’s efforts to improve supply chain security,” stated the report.

CBP is responsible for ensuring the security of cargo containers shipped into the U.S to strike a balance between security and commerce, CBP aims to secure the supply chain—the flow of goods from manufacturers to retailers—through partnerships with international trade companies. Member companies agree to allow CBP to validate their security practices and, in exchange, they are awarded benefits, such as reduced scrutiny of their cargo. In 2005, GAO reviewed the C-TPAT program and noted operational challenges.

But since then, GAO has found significant flaws.

“The usefulness of the instrument is limited due to its default ‘no’ responses,” the report stated. “Specifically, if a response is marked ‘no,’ it is unclear whether a security specialist, who has the discretion to answer or not answer individual questions, intentionally answered the question or if the response was an automatic default.”

This factor, said the report, limits the ability of CBP to validate security practices at member companies. CBP has taken actions to address C-TPAT management and staffing challenges, such as implementing a human capital plan, a records management system, and performance measures.

“While these actions have addressed a number of challenges, others remain,” the report stated. “In particular, CBP’s records management system does not include interim processing dates—such as the date that security specialists send companies the 30-day validation notification letter—to enable management or others to determine CBP's compliance with program requirements.

Finally, the report concluded but stated that although CBP has developed performance measures for facilitating the flow of commerce, it has not developed performance measures to assess the effectiveness of C-TPAT’s efforts to improve supply chain security.

www.gao.gov