GAO: Funding tight for seaport security

The Coast Guard faces budget challenges in obtaining the $260 million it estimates is needed to upgrade its command centers to meet the requirements of the Safe Port Act, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

The Safe Port Act of 2006 authorizes the Homeland Security Department to establish interagency operations centers at high-priority ports within three years. The centers are to assist in information sharing for improved decision making.

The act also directed that the new centers utilize the same composition and operations of existing Coast Guard sector command centers. But according to the Coast Guard, none of the existing 35 sector command centers currently meets the requirements of the act, the report said.

However, four joint operations centers the Coast Guard has established with the Navy are a significant step in meeting these requirements, the report said.

The Coast Guard has developed a five-year plan for creating the interagency operations centers and is sponsoring pilot projects to test several approaches, GAO said.

However, the Coast Guard faces budget constraints in fulfilling the requirements of the act in a timely manner, GAO concluded.