The Port of Baltimore has officially received top marks for its security last year from the U.S. Coast Guard, making 2017 the ninth consecutive year it received an excellent ranking.
The ranking was based on an examination of the port’s six public marine terminals. Such examinations are conducted annually to ensure compliance with federal security regulations. To that end, Coast Guard officials review access control procedures, as well as the site’s physical security.
“The success of this year’s exam was due in large measure to the outstanding professionalism, commitment and dedication exhibited by the Port’s Security Department, Maryland Transportation Authority Police and Allied Barton,” L.P. Harrison, Jr., U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port, said in a letter to the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Port Administration (MDOT MPA) Executive Director James White. “I appreciate and commend these efforts as they greatly enhance our ability to meet our mutual goal of maintaining the safety and security of the Port of Baltimore.”
MDOT MPA emphasized that, in recent years, they have enhanced security through closed-circuit television, cybersecurity measures and an emphasis on stronger access control technologies. All of this has been set up to protect a port that handled 10.7 million tons of general cargo last year.