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Describes new threats to security
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Corridors of powerTexas joins Canada in the smart highway revolution
POLICY BEYOND POLITICS���� ���� � ������� ��� ��� ������
MOTIVATION AND INCENTIVERandy Salzman meets the ultimate transport planner
MOBILITY FIRSTThe multimodal goals behind the formation of ITMA
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SHHOOW PREVIEEWW
NORTH AMERICAN EDITIONVol
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Vol 6 No 3 North Americathinkinghighways.com48
SURVEILLANCE AND SECURITY
In today’s asymmetrical world, one
ought to understand how threats
can and do come from any angle
at any time. The transportation
infrastructure, areas where people
assemble to take advantage of various
conveyance modalities, poses an obvious
“soft” target. We can be certain that
terrorists view airports, train and bus
terminals, highway interchanges and
maritime ports as high-value assets;
waiting for the opportunity to convert one
into an astonishing news event.
Ensuring contemporaneous security for
all such touchpoints would be challenging
in a peaceful environment.
Consider the pressure on Federal, State
and local governments to protect citizenry
and property when, with scarcely a
moment’s notice, the daily order around
any of those sites might give way to chaos.
United States Customs and Border
Protection (CBP) is the unified agency
within the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS; Washington, DC) which
embraces the workforces and safeguarding
authorities of Citizenship and Immigration
Services, Immigration and Customs
Enforcement, the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service and the Border Patrol.
CBP employs multiple strategies and draws
on leading-edge technologies to
accomplish its two-part goal: preventing
terrorists and terrorist weapons from
entering the country while fostering
legitimate trade, travel and tourism.
A COORDINATED EFFORTTo assess every US-bound passenger, CBP
relies on the Advance Passenger
Information System, the Student and
Exchange Visitor System and US VISIT,
United States Visitor and Immigrant Status
Indication Technology. In addition, data
furnished by the Automated Targeting
System, the Automated Export System and
the Trade Act of 2002 Advance Electronic
Information Regulations (originally
entered into The Federal Register in
December 2003), help spot perilous cargo.
The Office of Intelligence and Operations
Coordination, restructured this past July
into the Office of Intelligence and
Investigative Liaison, furthers the above
initiatives: planning, collection, processing,
analyzing, producing and disseminating
all-source intelligence. Functioning as
CBP’s situational awareness hub, the newly
streamlined Office provides timely, relevant
and actionable information to operators
and decision-makers..
Using risk management techniques,
suspicious individuals can be designated
Lee J Nelson discusses the latest developments helping the US to
Threat assessment
A commercial driver presenting credentials for accelerated border clearance at a dedicated FAST processing lane.
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North America Vol 6 No 3 thinkinghighways.com 49
Border control technology
prior to reaching North American
shores. Meanwhile, the Container
Security Initiative targets and prescreens
freight at foreign departure ports. By
uncovering additional investigative leads,
the Initiative aims to mitigate the threat
of transporting a weapon, concealed
in cargo and destined for the US.
SECURE BORDER INITIATIVEIn 2005, DHS established the Secure
Border Initiative (SBI), a comprehensive,
multi-year plan to implement tighter
restraints. The Initiative’s mission to
develop, deploy and integrate technology
into tactical infrastructures, bolsters
control efforts at terrestrial borders.
Effective border management is achieved
not only through situational awareness
but by rapid and appropriate responses.
To realize operational success, CBP
depends on personnel and equipment.
A major enterprise, known as SBInet,
began combining existing and novel
technologies to enable front-line agents
and officers to detect, identify, classify
and react to incursions. Earlier this year,
however, following a lengthy period
of reassessment, DHS Secretary Janet
Napolitano cancelled the program.
Funding, previously requested for SBInet
and provided in the fiscal 2011 continuing
resolution, prompted a new plan. The
Alternative Border Technology employs
towers, truck-mounted surveillance
systems, ground sensors and hand-held
units as well as fixed- and rotary-wing
aircraft and unmanned drones. By creating
“smarter boundaries”, the zone of security
can be extended beyond physical borders.
Given the magnitude of CBP’s
responsibility, development and
deployment of sophisticated tools is a
foregone conclusion. Non-intrusive
inspection is on the increase and viewed as
a “force multiplier”, permitting CBP to
screen or examine a larger portion of the
commercial traffic stream. Some of those
systems, positioned at ports-of-entry,
contain x-ray and γ-ray (gamma ray)
imaging modalities.
CBP does not rely on any single
approach: officers and agents utilize diverse
technologies, in differing combinations, to
heighten the likelihood that terrorist
weapons – including nuclear or radiological
devices – are spotted and interdicted.
Personal detectors, isotope identifiers,
radiation monitors and trained dogs all aid
in locating explosives and hazardous
chemicals. In short, Border Patrol agents
are augmenting security through a
wide-ranging enforcement strategy;
intensifying, integrating and coordinating a
rich repertoire of technologies and
communications protocols.
AMERICA’S SHIELD INITIATIVECommand, control and intelligence
applications also assist CBP operators,
through a common operating picture,
to facilitate tactical decision-making
and coordinate law enforcement
responses. To that end, the Integrated
Surveillance Intelligence System
(ISIS) was established in 1998.
Three basic components comprised ISIS:
remote day/night video surveillance (RVS),
in ground sensor arrays and the Integrated
Computer Assisted Detection (ICAD)
database. RVS combines multiple color and
infrared cameras, mounted atop various
structures, into a single remote-controlled
subsystem. The sensor network consists of
magnetic, seismic and thermal devices,
acting as electronic tripwires, to expose and
track intrusions. And, ICAD software
coordinates data collection and helps
manage personnel deployment when
responding to alarm notifications.
In 2003, CBP began developing
America’s Shield Initiative (ASI) to
integrate surveillance, communications
and visualization tools while maintaining
and modernizing ISIS - that formally was
subsumed by ASI in 2005.
The rejuvenation of ISIS under ASI
addresses upgraded and expanded
equipment as well as enhanced detection
and monitoring. Those measures also
involve superior links for CBP agents to
guide the collection of visual and related
data. Similarly, new air, ground and marine
resources underscore improvements for
all-weather, around-the-clock capabilities.
According to CBP, more robust
surveillance technologies could be an
effective adjuvant, reducing static
observation requirements while
engendering intelligence-based
secure its borders
>>>
“By creating ‘smarter boundaries’, the zone of security can be extended beyond physical borders”
Aerial view of an extensive crossing complex along the US-Mexican border
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Vol 6 No 3 North Americathinkinghighways.com50
SURVEILLANCE AND SECURITY
responses. ASI would incorporate a means
to evaluate enforcement actions, collect
performance metrics and provide managers
with analyses and efficiency reports.
The US Congress approved additional
resources in the Emergency Supplemental
for Border Security (passed and signed into
law in August of 2010) that included 1,000
extra Border Patrol agents, 250 CBP
officers, two more Unmanned Aircraft
Vehicles (UAVs) and two new Forward
Operating Bases.
UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLESEquipped with sophisticated on-board
sensors, UAVs, also called Unmanned
Autonomous Vehicles or Unmanned
Aircraft Systems, confer unparalleled, long-
range reconnaissance. They are able to
remain “on-station” longer than other
airborne assets and, therefore, are
particularly useful in isolated areas.
UAVs gather intelligence on border
activities and survey open waters. The high
endurance of larger-class drones permits
overnight or 24-hour vigils while their size
and operating altitude make them
practically imperceptible by ears or unaided
eyes. UAVs contribute to enforcement
efficacy as well as officer safety, complement
incursion detection and help to quell entry
of terrorists, smugglers and other
undesirables. CBP currently operates six
Predator Bs (the MQ-9 Reaper from
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems,
San Diego, California): three from the
National Air Security Operations Center
(NASOC) in Sierra Vista, Arizona, two
located at Grand Forks, North Dakota and
a maritime variant, the Guardian, from
Cocoa Beach, Florida. Most recently, a
second Guardian was delivered to NASOC,
Corpus Christi, Texas in further support of
interagency missions.
TRUSTED TRAVELER PROGRAMSThe Global Entry pilot program
streamlines the international arrival
process for pre-approved travelers. Once
inducted, Global Entry members may
avoid lengthy waits by proceeding directly
to special kiosks. There, the system
confirms one’s identity by scanning a
passport (or lawful permanent resident
card) and compares fingerprints against
those already on-file.
Enrollment in the quartet of CBP’s
Trusted Traveler Programs – Global Entry,
NEXUS, SENTRI (Secure Electronic
Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection)
and FAST (Free and Secure Trade) – has
exceeded one million members.
“If we are able to identify low-risk
travelers and cargo, we will be able to
concentrate our resources on suspect
people and goods. Our Trusted Traveler
Program, Global Entry, which is growing
at a rapid rate, is helping improve our
ability to identify low-risk travelers. We
must continue to expand participation
in similar efforts, such as SENTRI,
NEXUS, and FAST,” remarked CBP
Commissioner Alan Bersin. “We must
also marry our various programs together
and ensure that all participants are
vetted to the same high standards.”
All program applicants voluntarily
undergo a background investigation against
criminal, law enforcement, customs,
immigration and terrorist indices, a ten-
fingerprint law enforcement check and an
interview with a CBP officer. Each approved
Trusted Traveler receives a WHTI-
compliant (Western Hemisphere Travel
Initiative) card. The card fulfills WHTI’s
requirement for “a passport or other secure
travel document that denotes identity
and citizenship” by all North American
citizens, entering the US by air, land or sea.
Conscription to all programs is managed
via GOES, the Federal Government’s Global
Online Enrollment System.
SENTRI provides expedited processing
for motor vehicle drivers and passengers
who are inbound from Mexico. First
implemented at Otay Mesa, California in
1995, SENTRI has grown to include sixteen
lanes at the nine busiest crossing points
along the US-Mexico border. When an
accepted international visitor approaches
in a distinctly marked SENTRI lane, a
video-based license plate reader
automatically recognizes the automobile.
Each occupant is verified through records
maintained in an on-line database
(containing digitized facial photographs),
together with a radio-frequency
identification (RFID) card and an officer’s
visual authentication.
NEXUS is a joint CBP-Canada Border
Services Agency (Ottawa, Ontario)
endeavor for enhancing security while An unmanned aircraft vehicle poised for take-off on a border surveillance mission.
“We must also marry our various programs together and ensure that all participants are vetted to the same high standards”
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North America Vol 6 No 3 thinkinghighways.com 51
Border control technology
simplifying entry for low-risk visitors.
NEXUS was established in 2002 and
currently counts more than 500,000
members. Applicants must agree to
background checks in both Canada and the
US. FAST offers dedicated lanes and
accelerated border clearance for importers,
carriers and commercial drivers who have
passed rigorous assessments.
AUTOMATED COMMERCIAL ENVIRONMENTAdvances in non-invasive inspection of
containerized freight are proving effective
at stemming the flow of contraband,
principally illicit drugs, smuggled into the
US by sea and land. The armamentarium of
imaging technologies generates an
unfathomable data volume and does so on
nearly a continuous basis. Highlighting,
interpreting and communicating the
essential elements is a Herculean task.
Originated in 2001, the Automated
Commercial Environment (ACE) offers a
single, consolidated venue for commercial
transactions, trade enforcement and
compliance, while abiding multi-agency
practices. Previously, CBP officers had to
toggle among seven different computer
screens, and review paper forms, when
deciding whether to allow cargo to pass into
the country or detain it for further scrutiny.
ACE affords government users a unified
and systematic approach to analytical
targeting of equipment and freight.
ACE’s evolving trade processing system
is helping to facilitate cargo handling,
modernize business processes, speed the
flow of legitimate shipments and target
ellicit goods. ACE ultimately will extend
(to CBP and other participating
government entities) the ability to access
data throughout the international supply
chain and to anticipate, identify, track and
intercept high-risk shipments and persons.
By incorporating electronic devices, such
as transponders, RFID tags and smart cards
together with biometric applications and
state-of-the-art security methods, the
program will enable inspectors to
concentrate on threat-sensing and
response activities.
Through International Trade Data
System initiatives, ACE will become the
“solitary window” for electronic collection
of all harmonized information required by
Federal agencies for clearance of cargo
versus reams of paper which was the norm.
There are more than 19,000 ACE portal
account-holders who have filed about
475,000 entry summaries (since that
functionality was introduced in April 2009).
BETTER NOW THAN NEVEROver the past two years, DHS has been
focusing humanpower, technology and
infrastructure on the US’s Southwest
border which experiences one-half of the
nation’s illegal traffic. The Border Patrol is
better staffed, presently, than at any time in
its 87-year history; doubling the agent pool
from 10,000 in fiscal year 2004 to
approximately 20,500 at the close of 2010.
Beside the Border Patrol, CBP’s workforce
of roughly 58,000 employees consists of
more than 2,300 agriculture specialists and
20,600 port-based officers.
In 2010, CBP deployed 17 new Mobile
Non-Intrusive Inspection Systems and 22
additional large-scale Non-Intrusive
Inspection imaging units. Mobile X-ray
technology permits officials to detect
stowaways and contraband such as
currency, drugs and explosives in
passenger vehicles and in freight. Those
systems already have conducted more than
7.3 million examinations and resulted in
over 1,300 seizures, including 288,000
pounds (130.6 tonnes) of narcotics. Full
and final deployment of ACE is scheduled
for the Winter of 2012.
“The US border security system should
be integrated into a larger network of
screening points that includes our
transportation system and access to vital
facilities, such as nuclear reactors. The
President should direct DHS to lead the
effort to design a comprehensive screening
system, addressing common problems and
setting common standards with
systemwide goals in mind. Extending those
standards among other governments could
dramatically strengthen America and the
world’s collective ability to intercept
individuals who pose catastrophic threats.”
Published in the Summer of 2004, that
statement encapsulated one
recommendation of the National
Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the
United States (also known as the 9/11
Commission).
As Thinking Highways went to press, we
observed the 10th anniversary of the
terrorist attacks on the East Coast of the
US: New York City, Shanksville,
Pennsylvania and The Pentagon in
Arlington, Virginia. Now, seven years after
the Commission’s findings and despite
significant undertakings, the assurance of
contemporaneous and complete security
remains elusive.
Lee Nelson is an Independent analyst and President of H3B Media North America
lnelson@rcn.com
http://www.garlic.com/biz
Read more in our ARCHIVES at thinkinghighways.com/archives.aspx
The author acknowledges invaluable assistance from James Falasco (Sachse, Texas)
fyi
Left: The author’s Global Entry WHTI-compliant ID card with embedded RF tag.
A US-Canadian border-crossing lane, equipped with a NEXUS card reader as well as a video camera for license plate recognition.
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