Regional security official calls ports æscaryÆ
The outgoing co-chair of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Southeast Regional Domestic Security Task Force (RDSTF) says that regardless of the gains in port security over the last five years, he still finds the security problems at Port Everglades 'scary.'
Broward County Sheriff Ken Jenne, who on Friday ended a term as the co-chair of the Miami-based Southeast RDSTF, said the federal government needs to spend more on port security improvements.
'The port is scary to me,' Jenne told the Miami Herald. 'In Broward, we've had a county commission that has been willing to foot the bill to pay for concrete barriers and a harbor-patrol boat and other things we need at Port Everglades. But they get a lot of pressure for that money.'
While he lauded the efforts at the local government level, Jenne said 'It's time the federal government get off its duff and fund security at the ports in South Florida and nationwide.'
The FDLE has seven domestic security regions. Miami-Dade Police Department Director Robert Parker was named Friday as the new Southeast co-chair. In addition, the FDLE named Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott co-chair of the Fort Meyers-based Southwest Region.