Port, Airline Security Ramping Up Again

By ALEXIS TONTI

As the nation moves toward the new year under a heightened terror
alert, Island security continues to tighten at the direction of the
federal Department of Homeland Security, which is again pumping money
into port and airline security on the Island.

The Steamship Authority and Hy-Line Cruises have received $515,000
from the federal department to improve security measures at their Cape
and Islands terminals.

At the Martha's Vineyard Airport, the Transportation Security
Administration (TSA) - one of 22 agencies of the Department of
Homeland Security - has plans to fund seven new part-time security
screeners. They will join the four full-time screeners already employed
there.

On Tuesday night, the Bush administration still had the country on
an increased threat status, from elevated to high, with officials
warning that terrorist operatives may be planning a major attack in the
United States or against U.S. interests abroad.

"Every airport that has commercial service needs to have a TSA
presence," said Ann Davis, northeast regional spokesperson for
TSA, in explaining her agency's activity at the airport here.
"You can connect to major airports from Martha's Vineyard,
and it's critical that every piece of baggage is checked so
individuals connecting to other airports have undergone the same
rigorous screening that they would go through at Logan or
LaGuardia."

Of the $325,000 awarded to the Steamship Authority, $225,000 will be
earmarked for the Nantucket terminal and $100,000 for Hyannis. The money
will be used to improve waiting and boarding areas at the two terminals
and to accommodate the screening of passengers and luggage called for by
heightened security requirements.

This is the third round of federal money awarded to the SSA for
security improvements. In June two grants totaling some $900,000 went
toward port security on the Vineyard and in Woods Hole.

The Hy-Line will split its $191,149 grant between its Nantucket,
Hyannis and Martha's Vineyard terminals. Company spokesman Murray
Scudder said the company would use the grant for walk-through metal
detectors, X-ray machines, cameras around the company's terminals
and hand-held metal detectors.

TSA's expanded presence at the Vineyard airport has been
planned since the spring, when agency officials did an
airport-by-airport analysis to determine the appropriate number of
screeners for each. At that time, the agency authorized nine full-time
screeners (or their equivalent) at the Martha's Vineyard Airport.
This round of hiring brings the staff size closer to that number.

Prior the arrival of TSA screeners, different airports managed
security in different ways, according to Vineyard airport manager Bill
Weibrecht. On the Island, each airline was responsible for screening and
manning its own checkpoints.

In addition the West Tisbury police department has for years
stationed a police officer on site, whose duties range from providing
back-up during security screenings to parking enforcement in between
flights.

When TSA was established as part of the Aviation and Transportation
Security Act in November 2001, its congressional mandate required its
managers to establish a presence at every public airport within a year.

"As they started out TSA had a mobile screening force -
a go-team where they sent batches of people around and used them in a
roll-out capacity. And as they hired locals they filled in and replaced
the mobile screeners," said Mr. Weibrecht.

"This is an important effort to make permanent the staff at
the airport," he said.

Ms. Davis said TSA still plans to use its mobile screening force to
accommodate the Island's seasonal needs. In the summer the
year-round staff will be supplemented by about 20 screeners.

The new screeners will go through a minimum of 100 hours of
classroom and on-the-job training before they can begin work. They will
receive instruction in screening techniques, standard operating
procedures and equipment operation.