ABSTRACT
The port facility police commander may be responsible for the management, direction, and control of the deployed law enforcement contingent and resources at the port. The security function in the port facility is enhanced when the organizations responsible for port security, and for investigating actual or potential incidents of crime, work harmoniously to mitigate situations involving suspicious activities. The Miami-Dade Police Department established the Seaport Operations Section at the port, assigning a police captain to oversee the previously established Seaport Identification Section, a dedicated port facility police contingent, and the port’s civilian security staff. The role of security at port facilities is driven by two primary imperatives: developing measures aimed at neutralizing vulnerability to criminal activity and security threats and affecting the nexus between the port and those who would commit crime and terrorism. Major roadways or railways running into, out of, and adjacent to port areas provide necessary conduits for travel for the surrounding community.
