Miami port director bemoans security costs

Miami port director bemoans security costs Port of Miami director Bill Johnson, who has cited port security costs as one of the port's primary budget problems since he took over as director one year ago, said a Florida Department of Law Enforcement interpretation of port security requirements could 'bankrupt' the port, Miami Today reported.
   Johnson, speaking at a conference organized by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, said that while the port is a department of Dade County and cannot go bankrupt in the legal sense, he urged chamber members to help put pressure on state officials to change the FDLE interpretation of state regulations governing port security.
   He particularly objects to the FDLE's insistence that the Port of Miami use sworn police officers, which in Miami means police officers that commonly work overtime at the port at a cost of $60 to $90 an hour, pushing annual port security costs to around $19 million.
   Johnson said FDLE is 'making me do things that are not in Florida law,' according to the report in the Miami-based weekly newspaper.
   The state legislature in 2006 passed a law that would allow ports to hire specially trained seaport security officers. However, those officers would have to go through a training program that is still being formulated.
   Johnson said carriers calling the port are being asked to pay higher fees to help cover costs. He warned Miami is not competitive with ports in neighboring states, noting that the Port of Savannah handles twice the volume of containerized cargo as Miami, yet operates with a security budget of $6 million a year.
   Florida ports toughened port security requirements even before the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, primarily because drug smuggling and other illegal activities impact state ports.