A U.S. Coast Guard security team has determined that San Diego Bay is vulnerable to a terrorist attack, a local news channel reported.
Teams of Coast Guard security officers in September assessed security at major U.S. harbors including San Diego; Portland, Maine; Corpus Christi, Texas; and Boston. The Coast Guard inspectors scrutinized both civilian and military properties for a report outlining corrective measures that may be needed, according to 10News.
The results of the security assessments, details of which have been kept confidential for security reasons, are not promising. “These ports are vulnerable,” Capt. Tony Regalbuto, the acting director of port security for the Coast Guard, told The San Diego Union-Tribune. “We are focusing on prevention. We want to prevent someone from using our ports as a venue for terrorism.”
Regalbuto told the newspaper that security deficiencies were discovered in San Diego, but he declined to discuss the details. But he said that some of the problems involve deployment of personnel for security purposes. Others relate to protective devices, including a lack of motion detectors, surveillance cameras and fortified fences, he added.
The Coast Guard is expected to prepare a detailed report on San Diego’s security readiness within two months, 10News reported.
