Security Video on Mississippi River, Florida Roads; Plane Cargo Screening Still Lacking

When it comes to transportation security, it may be safer to take the river or a car than a plane, at least if you area visiting Vicksburg or Winter Haven.

For example, a $ 444,988 federal grant will provide for installation of high-resolution surveillance cameras at Mississippi River and in Vicksburg and Warren County. City officials tell the Vicksburg Post about an initial order for a dozen cameras at points along the river and at the Port of Vicksburg to watch river traffic and identify potential threats. This will expand use of cameras already at the river bridges and some port locations.

Then there is safety in the air where passengers may be at risk of terrorist attacks because of cargo screening flaws, including a lack of required background checks on freight handlers, according to a U.S. government report. Thirty percent of 6,767 cargo inspections by the Transportation Security Administration found security violations in the three quarters ended in June 2008, according to the Homeland Security Department’s inspector general. “Air cargo is vulnerable to the introduction of explosives and other destructive items before it is loaded onto planes, potentially creating risks for the traveling public,” he wrote in the report released November 30 in Washington. In all, the Transportation Security Administration recorded 254 violations of access controls, 731 related to security-threat assessments, and 1,655 of security training and testing requirements. Almost a quarter of drivers transporting air cargo did not satisfy testing and training requirements.

For those on the road, the city of Winter Haven and the Florida Department of Transportation are ready to implement an Advanced Traffic Management System within Winter Haven costing $4.1 million. City workers will monitor live traffic conditions at 44 intersections.