Corridors of powerTexas joins Canada in the smart highway revolution

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MOTIVATION AND INCENTIVERandy Salzman meets the ultimate transport planner

MOBILITY FIRSTThe multimodal goals behind the formation of ITMA

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NORTH AMERICAN EDITIONVol

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Vol 6 No 3 North Americathinkinghighways.com48

SURVEILLANCE AND SECURITY

 In today’s asymmetrical world, one

ought to understand how threats

can and do come from any angle

at any time. The transportation

infrastructure, areas where people

assemble to take advantage of various

conveyance modalities, poses an obvious

“soft” target. We can be certain that

terrorists view airports, train and bus

terminals, highway interchanges and

maritime ports as high-value assets;

waiting for the opportunity to convert one

into an astonishing news event.

Ensuring contemporaneous security for

all such touchpoints would be challenging

in a peaceful environment.

Consider the pressure on Federal, State

and local governments to protect citizenry

and property when, with scarcely a

moment’s notice, the daily order around

any of those sites might give way to chaos.

United States Customs and Border

Protection (CBP) is the unified agency

within the Department of Homeland

Security (DHS; Washington, DC) which

embraces the workforces and safeguarding

authorities of Citizenship and Immigration

Services, Immigration and Customs

Enforcement, the Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service and the Border Patrol.

CBP employs multiple strategies and draws

on leading-edge technologies to

accomplish its two-part goal: preventing

terrorists and terrorist weapons from

entering the country while fostering

legitimate trade, travel and tourism.

A COORDINATED EFFORTTo assess every US-bound passenger, CBP

relies on the Advance Passenger

Information System, the Student and

Exchange Visitor System and US VISIT,

United States Visitor and Immigrant Status

Indication Technology. In addition, data

furnished by the Automated Targeting

System, the Automated Export System and

the Trade Act of 2002 Advance Electronic

Information Regulations (originally

entered into The Federal Register in

December 2003), help spot perilous cargo.

The Office of Intelligence and Operations

Coordination, restructured this past July

into the Office of Intelligence and

Investigative Liaison, furthers the above

initiatives: planning, collection, processing,

analyzing, producing and disseminating

all-source intelligence. Functioning as

CBP’s situational awareness hub, the newly

streamlined Office provides timely, relevant

and actionable information to operators

and decision-makers..

Using risk management techniques,

suspicious individuals can be designated

Lee J Nelson discusses the latest developments helping the US to

Threat assessment

A commercial driver presenting credentials for accelerated border clearance at a dedicated FAST processing lane.

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North America Vol 6 No 3 thinkinghighways.com 49

Border control technology

prior to reaching North American

shores. Meanwhile, the Container

Security Initiative targets and prescreens

freight at foreign departure ports. By

uncovering additional investigative leads,

the Initiative aims to mitigate the threat

of transporting a weapon, concealed

in cargo and destined for the US.

SECURE BORDER INITIATIVEIn 2005, DHS established the Secure

Border Initiative (SBI), a comprehensive,

multi-year plan to implement tighter

restraints. The Initiative’s mission to

develop, deploy and integrate technology

into tactical infrastructures, bolsters

control efforts at terrestrial borders.

Effective border management is achieved

not only through situational awareness

but by rapid and appropriate responses.

To realize operational success, CBP

depends on personnel and equipment.

A major enterprise, known as SBInet,

began combining existing and novel

technologies to enable front-line agents

and officers to detect, identify, classify

and react to incursions. Earlier this year,

however, following a lengthy period

of reassessment, DHS Secretary Janet

Napolitano cancelled the program.

Funding, previously requested for SBInet

and provided in the fiscal 2011 continuing

resolution, prompted a new plan. The

Alternative Border Technology employs

towers, truck-mounted surveillance

systems, ground sensors and hand-held

units as well as fixed- and rotary-wing

aircraft and unmanned drones. By creating

“smarter boundaries”, the zone of security

can be extended beyond physical borders.

Given the magnitude of CBP’s

responsibility, development and

deployment of sophisticated tools is a

foregone conclusion. Non-intrusive

inspection is on the increase and viewed as

a “force multiplier”, permitting CBP to

screen or examine a larger portion of the

commercial traffic stream. Some of those

systems, positioned at ports-of-entry,

contain x-ray and γ-ray (gamma ray)

imaging modalities.

CBP does not rely on any single

approach: officers and agents utilize diverse

technologies, in differing combinations, to

heighten the likelihood that terrorist

weapons – including nuclear or radiological

devices – are spotted and interdicted.

Personal detectors, isotope identifiers,

radiation monitors and trained dogs all aid

in locating explosives and hazardous

chemicals. In short, Border Patrol agents

are augmenting security through a

wide-ranging enforcement strategy;

intensifying, integrating and coordinating a

rich repertoire of technologies and

communications protocols.

AMERICA’S SHIELD INITIATIVECommand, control and intelligence

applications also assist CBP operators,

through a common operating picture,

to facilitate tactical decision-making

and coordinate law enforcement

responses. To that end, the Integrated

Surveillance Intelligence System

(ISIS) was established in 1998.

Three basic components comprised ISIS:

remote day/night video surveillance (RVS),

in ground sensor arrays and the Integrated

Computer Assisted Detection (ICAD)

database. RVS combines multiple color and

infrared cameras, mounted atop various

structures, into a single remote-controlled

subsystem. The sensor network consists of

magnetic, seismic and thermal devices,

acting as electronic tripwires, to expose and

track intrusions. And, ICAD software

coordinates data collection and helps

manage personnel deployment when

responding to alarm notifications.

In 2003, CBP began developing

America’s Shield Initiative (ASI) to

integrate surveillance, communications

and visualization tools while maintaining

and modernizing ISIS - that formally was

subsumed by ASI in 2005.

The rejuvenation of ISIS under ASI

addresses upgraded and expanded

equipment as well as enhanced detection

and monitoring. Those measures also

involve superior links for CBP agents to

guide the collection of visual and related

data. Similarly, new air, ground and marine

resources underscore improvements for

all-weather, around-the-clock capabilities.

According to CBP, more robust

surveillance technologies could be an

effective adjuvant, reducing static

observation requirements while

engendering intelligence-based

secure its borders

>>>

“By creating ‘smarter boundaries’, the zone of security can be extended beyond physical borders”

Aerial view of an extensive crossing complex along the US-Mexican border

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Vol 6 No 3 North Americathinkinghighways.com50

SURVEILLANCE AND SECURITY

responses. ASI would incorporate a means

to evaluate enforcement actions, collect

performance metrics and provide managers

with analyses and efficiency reports.

The US Congress approved additional

resources in the Emergency Supplemental

for Border Security (passed and signed into

law in August of 2010) that included 1,000

extra Border Patrol agents, 250 CBP

officers, two more Unmanned Aircraft

Vehicles (UAVs) and two new Forward

Operating Bases.

UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLESEquipped with sophisticated on-board

sensors, UAVs, also called Unmanned

Autonomous Vehicles or Unmanned

Aircraft Systems, confer unparalleled, long-

range reconnaissance. They are able to

remain “on-station” longer than other

airborne assets and, therefore, are

particularly useful in isolated areas.

UAVs gather intelligence on border

activities and survey open waters. The high

endurance of larger-class drones permits

overnight or 24-hour vigils while their size

and operating altitude make them

practically imperceptible by ears or unaided

eyes. UAVs contribute to enforcement

efficacy as well as officer safety, complement

incursion detection and help to quell entry

of terrorists, smugglers and other

undesirables. CBP currently operates six

Predator Bs (the MQ-9 Reaper from

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems,

San Diego, California): three from the

National Air Security Operations Center

(NASOC) in Sierra Vista, Arizona, two

located at Grand Forks, North Dakota and

a maritime variant, the Guardian, from

Cocoa Beach, Florida. Most recently, a

second Guardian was delivered to NASOC,

Corpus Christi, Texas in further support of

interagency missions.

TRUSTED TRAVELER PROGRAMSThe Global Entry pilot program

streamlines the international arrival

process for pre-approved travelers. Once

inducted, Global Entry members may

avoid lengthy waits by proceeding directly

to special kiosks. There, the system

confirms one’s identity by scanning a

passport (or lawful permanent resident

card) and compares fingerprints against

those already on-file.

Enrollment in the quartet of CBP’s

Trusted Traveler Programs – Global Entry,

NEXUS, SENTRI (Secure Electronic

Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection)

and FAST (Free and Secure Trade) – has

exceeded one million members.

“If we are able to identify low-risk

travelers and cargo, we will be able to

concentrate our resources on suspect

people and goods. Our Trusted Traveler

Program, Global Entry, which is growing

at a rapid rate, is helping improve our

ability to identify low-risk travelers. We

must continue to expand participation

in similar efforts, such as SENTRI,

NEXUS, and FAST,” remarked CBP

Commissioner Alan Bersin. “We must

also marry our various programs together

and ensure that all participants are

vetted to the same high standards.”

All program applicants voluntarily

undergo a background investigation against

criminal, law enforcement, customs,

immigration and terrorist indices, a ten-

fingerprint law enforcement check and an

interview with a CBP officer. Each approved

Trusted Traveler receives a WHTI-

compliant (Western Hemisphere Travel

Initiative) card. The card fulfills WHTI’s

requirement for “a passport or other secure

travel document that denotes identity

and citizenship” by all North American

citizens, entering the US by air, land or sea.

Conscription to all programs is managed

via GOES, the Federal Government’s Global

Online Enrollment System.

SENTRI provides expedited processing

for motor vehicle drivers and passengers

who are inbound from Mexico. First

implemented at Otay Mesa, California in

1995, SENTRI has grown to include sixteen

lanes at the nine busiest crossing points

along the US-Mexico border. When an

accepted international visitor approaches

in a distinctly marked SENTRI lane, a

video-based license plate reader

automatically recognizes the automobile.

Each occupant is verified through records

maintained in an on-line database

(containing digitized facial photographs),

together with a radio-frequency

identification (RFID) card and an officer’s

visual authentication.

NEXUS is a joint CBP-Canada Border

Services Agency (Ottawa, Ontario)

endeavor for enhancing security while An unmanned aircraft vehicle poised for take-off on a border surveillance mission.

“We must also marry our various programs together and ensure that all participants are vetted to the same high standards”

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North America Vol 6 No 3 thinkinghighways.com 51

Border control technology

simplifying entry for low-risk visitors.

NEXUS was established in 2002 and

currently counts more than 500,000

members. Applicants must agree to

background checks in both Canada and the

US. FAST offers dedicated lanes and

accelerated border clearance for importers,

carriers and commercial drivers who have

passed rigorous assessments.

AUTOMATED COMMERCIAL ENVIRONMENTAdvances in non-invasive inspection of

containerized freight are proving effective

at stemming the flow of contraband,

principally illicit drugs, smuggled into the

US by sea and land. The armamentarium of

imaging technologies generates an

unfathomable data volume and does so on

nearly a continuous basis. Highlighting,

interpreting and communicating the

essential elements is a Herculean task.

Originated in 2001, the Automated

Commercial Environment (ACE) offers a

single, consolidated venue for commercial

transactions, trade enforcement and

compliance, while abiding multi-agency

practices. Previously, CBP officers had to

toggle among seven different computer

screens, and review paper forms, when

deciding whether to allow cargo to pass into

the country or detain it for further scrutiny.

ACE affords government users a unified

and systematic approach to analytical

targeting of equipment and freight.

ACE’s evolving trade processing system

is helping to facilitate cargo handling,

modernize business processes, speed the

flow of legitimate shipments and target

ellicit goods. ACE ultimately will extend

(to CBP and other participating

government entities) the ability to access

data throughout the international supply

chain and to anticipate, identify, track and

intercept high-risk shipments and persons.

By incorporating electronic devices, such

as transponders, RFID tags and smart cards

together with biometric applications and

state-of-the-art security methods, the

program will enable inspectors to

concentrate on threat-sensing and

response activities.

Through International Trade Data

System initiatives, ACE will become the

“solitary window” for electronic collection

of all harmonized information required by

Federal agencies for clearance of cargo

versus reams of paper which was the norm.

There are more than 19,000 ACE portal

account-holders who have filed about

475,000 entry summaries (since that

functionality was introduced in April 2009).

BETTER NOW THAN NEVEROver the past two years, DHS has been

focusing humanpower, technology and

infrastructure on the US’s Southwest

border which experiences one-half of the

nation’s illegal traffic. The Border Patrol is

better staffed, presently, than at any time in

its 87-year history; doubling the agent pool

from 10,000 in fiscal year 2004 to

approximately 20,500 at the close of 2010.

Beside the Border Patrol, CBP’s workforce

of roughly 58,000 employees consists of

more than 2,300 agriculture specialists and

20,600 port-based officers.

In 2010, CBP deployed 17 new Mobile

Non-Intrusive Inspection Systems and 22

additional large-scale Non-Intrusive

Inspection imaging units. Mobile X-ray

technology permits officials to detect

stowaways and contraband such as

currency, drugs and explosives in

passenger vehicles and in freight. Those

systems already have conducted more than

7.3 million examinations and resulted in

over 1,300 seizures, including 288,000

pounds (130.6 tonnes) of narcotics. Full

and final deployment of ACE is scheduled

for the Winter of 2012.

“The US border security system should

be integrated into a larger network of

screening points that includes our

transportation system and access to vital

facilities, such as nuclear reactors. The

President should direct DHS to lead the

effort to design a comprehensive screening

system, addressing common problems and

setting common standards with

systemwide goals in mind. Extending those

standards among other governments could

dramatically strengthen America and the

world’s collective ability to intercept

individuals who pose catastrophic threats.”

Published in the Summer of 2004, that

statement encapsulated one

recommendation of the National

Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the

United States (also known as the 9/11

Commission).

As Thinking Highways went to press, we

observed the 10th anniversary of the

terrorist attacks on the East Coast of the

US: New York City, Shanksville,

Pennsylvania and The Pentagon in

Arlington, Virginia. Now, seven years after

the Commission’s findings and despite

significant undertakings, the assurance of

contemporaneous and complete security

remains elusive.

Lee Nelson is an Independent analyst and President of H3B Media North America

lnelson@rcn.com

http://www.garlic.com/biz

Read more in our ARCHIVES at thinkinghighways.com/archives.aspx

The author acknowledges invaluable assistance from James Falasco (Sachse, Texas)

fyi

Left: The author’s Global Entry WHTI-compliant ID card with embedded RF tag.

A US-Canadian border-crossing lane, equipped with a NEXUS card reader as well as a video camera for license plate recognition.

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