|
CBP Lacks a Risk Assessment on WMD Pathways |
|
|
|
|
by Mickey McCarter
|
|
Tuesday, 03 November 2009 |
Risk assessment must guide deployment of detectors, IG says
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has not completed risk assessment of where biological or chemical weapons could enter the United States and therefore has not effectively deployed its radiation detectors, warned the inspector general (IG) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Monday.
In addition, CBP officers do not utilize consistent processes to examine cargo for potential threats, the DHS IG said in the report CBP's Ability to Detect Biological and Chemical Threats in Maritime Cargo Containers .
"Conducting a formal risk assessment of the various pathways would help ensure that Customs and Border Protection allocates its detection technology development resources to threat pathways that pose the highest risk to national security," the report stated.
"In addition, Customs and Border Protection needs updated policies and procedures on how inspections for such threats are to be conducted," it said.
CBP agreed with the recommendations, noting that initiatives were underway to address them. CPB anticipated actions that would result in a risk assessment to be complete by August 31, 2010. CBP also said its Office of Field Operations would update the Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team National Directive and create a training module for its officers by June 30, 2010.
Presently, CBP is testing new devises that could provide increased speed and accuracy in the identification of biological and chemical agents, the IG report noted. But CBP has not to date completed a formal risk assessment to figure out which pathways into the United States offer the highest risks for such weapons of mass destruction to enter the country. A risk assessment would guide CBP in the deployment of its new technology, the report said.
The IG also observed that operating procedures for conducting inspections for biological and chemical threats lacked key instructions. As such, officers could fail to detect these threats and possibly expose themselves to health risks, the report cautioned. Filling gaps in the operating procedures would ensure their consistent application by CBP officers and thereby prevent these failures.
The IG report, redacted to protect sensitive information, provided annual evaluations of the cargo inspection targeting system for international intermodal cargo containers, as required by the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-293).
|
Mickey McCarter |
| About the author: |
| eNewsletter Editor/Senior Washington Correspondent,
is a journalist with more than a decade of experience in reporting
on
military affairs and information technology.
|
| Read More >> | |
Columns 
