Ships tipped off to surprise searches
Coast Guard at times gave warning after companies complained
By Timothy Egan
NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE
May 20, 2006
LONG BEACH – Under intense pressure from shipping companies concerned about costly delays, the Coast Guard is tipping off some large commercial ships about security searches that had been a surprise, high-ranking Coast Guard officials have said.
The searches began after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as part of a major revamping of the Coast Guard and its new anti-terrorism mission. But shipping companies say the surprise boardings at sea cause unnecessary delays, costing up to $40,000 an hour.
“We're trying to facilitate commerce and keep the port secure – and sometimes the two conflict,” said Capt. Paul Wiedenhoeft, who is in charge of the port complex at Los Angeles and Long Beach. “When possible, we're trying to give shippers as much notice as we can.”
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A typical search involves checking the crew and cargo manifests against those filed with the ports. Sea marshals check identification cards against the faces of crew members. They sometimes arrive with bomb-sniffing dogs and inspect with handheld radiation detectors. Depending on the circumstances, a review can last a half-hour or a half-day, officials said.
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