PALISADES Transit Security: Transit Security: Best Practices for Small Best Practices for Small and Medium Sized Bus and Medium Sized Bus Operators Operators Virginia Transit Association Virginia Transit Association Spring Conference Spring Conference May 29, 2003 May 29, 2003 Eva Lerner-Lam and Mark Stewart Eva Lerner-Lam and Mark Stewart Palisades Security Consulting Team Palisades Security Consulting Team www.palisadesgroup.com/PalisadesSecurity/index.htm www.palisadesgroup.com/PalisadesSecurity/index.htm
Transcript
PALISADES
Transit Security: Transit Security: Best Practices for Small and Medium Best Practices for Small and Medium
Sized Bus OperatorsSized Bus Operators
Virginia Transit AssociationVirginia Transit AssociationSpring ConferenceSpring Conference
May 29, 2003May 29, 2003
Eva Lerner-Lam and Mark StewartEva Lerner-Lam and Mark StewartPalisades Security Consulting TeamPalisades Security Consulting Team
Security Breaches on Public Security Breaches on Public Transportation in the U.S.Transportation in the U.S.
August 6, 1927August 6, 1927 Two bombs in two NYC Subway stationsTwo bombs in two NYC Subway stations
December 7, 1993 December 7, 1993 Colin Ferguson kills 6, injures 17 on LIRR at rush hourColin Ferguson kills 6, injures 17 on LIRR at rush hour
December 15 and 21, 1994December 15 and 21, 1994 Edward Leary explodes two bombs on the NYC subway system, injuring 53 peopleEdward Leary explodes two bombs on the NYC subway system, injuring 53 people
October 9, 1995 October 9, 1995 "Sons of the Gestapo" kills 1, injures 65 on sabotaged Amtrak Sunset Limited in "Sons of the Gestapo" kills 1, injures 65 on sabotaged Amtrak Sunset Limited in Arizona desert Arizona desert
November 27, 1998 November 27, 1998 Deranged passenger on a Seattle Metro bus kills bus operator, one passenger and Deranged passenger on a Seattle Metro bus kills bus operator, one passenger and injures 32 others. injures 32 others.
May 2, 2001May 2, 2001Bus hijacker in LA crashes into a minivan, killing the minivan driver and injuring Bus hijacker in LA crashes into a minivan, killing the minivan driver and injuring seven others.seven others.
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Good Security is Good SecurityGood Security is Good Security
Non-terroristNon-terrorist
TerroristTerrorist
[Opposite is also true…][Opposite is also true…]
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Key StrategiesKey Strategies
Vulnerability Assessments
Infrastructure Hardening
Evacuation,Recovery &Continuity
TRANSIT
TerroristThreats
Non-TerroristThreats
Deter & Mitigate
Deter & Mitigate
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Telephone InterviewsTelephone Interviews
Transit Security Chiefs interviewed, May 2003:Transit Security Chiefs interviewed, May 2003: Capital Metro, AustinCapital Metro, Austin Greater Cleveland Transit AuthorityGreater Cleveland Transit Authority Indygo, IndianapolisIndygo, Indianapolis Twin Cities Metro Transit, Minneapolis-St. PaulTwin Cities Metro Transit, Minneapolis-St. Paul Portland Tri-MetPortland Tri-Met San Antonio TransitSan Antonio Transit Santa Clara TransitSanta Clara Transit Southwest Ohio Regional Transit AuthoritySouthwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority Tampa Hartline TransitTampa Hartline Transit
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Interview QuestionsInterview Questions
What actions have you taken since 9/11 that What actions have you taken since 9/11 that have proven cost-effective in preventing or have proven cost-effective in preventing or minimizing threats against your customers and minimizing threats against your customers and employees?employees?
Tax revenues are down and budgets are getting Tax revenues are down and budgets are getting squeezed—how has this affected your ability to squeezed—how has this affected your ability to react to security threats since 9/11?react to security threats since 9/11?
What lessons have you learned?What lessons have you learned?
Familiarity with and adoption of federal Familiarity with and adoption of federal Incident Incident Command SystemCommand System (ICS)(ICS)
Rework Rework existing security and emergency responseexisting security and emergency response protocols per FTA Color-Coded Guidelinesprotocols per FTA Color-Coded Guidelines
Personnel, con’d.Personnel, con’d. Create opportunities for bus personnel to Create opportunities for bus personnel to meet with meet with
sheriff’s departmentsheriff’s department and other emergency response and other emergency response agenciesagencies
New employee orientationNew employee orientation: meet chief of police and : meet chief of police and commander of contracted securitycommander of contracted security
Keep Keep fare inspection forcefare inspection force apprised of new security apprised of new security awareness proceduresawareness procedures
Take Take free coursesfree courses offered by some police offered by some police departments (Personal protection, workplace departments (Personal protection, workplace violence, road rage, “Verbal Judo”)violence, road rage, “Verbal Judo”)
CustomersCustomers Focus on Focus on awarenessawareness and provide and provide “if this happens…then do “if this happens…then do
this…”this…” informationinformation
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Impact of Budget Cuts on SecurityImpact of Budget Cuts on SecurityVery little “new” fundingVery little “new” funding
Security budgets generally Security budgets generally holding steadyholding steady, despite falling , despite falling tax revenues and farestax revenues and fares
Agencies are using Agencies are using overtimeovertime strategicallystrategically
Leveraging relationshipsLeveraging relationships with with other public agenciesother public agencies
Leveraging technologyLeveraging technology deployed for other purposesdeployed for other purposes
““Have to be Have to be creative”creative”
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Lessons LearnedLessons Learned
Generally-held beliefsGenerally-held beliefs Security is Security is everyone’severyone’s job (same as job (same as SafetySafety))
Security is a Security is a moving target moving target and threats seek out yourand threats seek out your weakest pointsweakest points; have to be ; have to be flexibleflexible and adapt and adapt quicklyquickly and and efficientlyefficiently
Every day is Every day is differentdifferent
For transit security personnel, For transit security personnel, 9/11 should not have 9/11 should not have been a wake-up callbeen a wake-up call — security focus should — security focus should always always have been therehave been there
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Lessons Learned, con’d.Lessons Learned, con’d.
Do:Do: Stay on topStay on top of things, encourage of things, encourage pro-activepro-active attitudes attitudes
Take the Take the timetime to do things to do things rightright
Develop Develop good working relationshipsgood working relationships with first with first respondersresponders
Work closely with Work closely with labor unionslabor unions on security on security proceduresprocedures
Emphasize Emphasize preventionprevention
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Lessons Learned, con’d.Lessons Learned, con’d.
Do:Do: Pay attention to Pay attention to detailsdetails; make sure every security ; make sure every security
building block is building block is solidsolid before moving on and before moving on and counting on itcounting on it
Get Get buy-inbuy-in from from everyoneeveryone, from bus cleaning crews , from bus cleaning crews to upper managementto upper management
Look at the Look at the DHS/FTA color codingDHS/FTA color coding levels and adopt levels and adopt plansplans to handle each raised level of security to handle each raised level of security
Forge good relationships with Forge good relationships with local safety serviceslocal safety services that you rely on (get them to be that you rely on (get them to be advocatesadvocates for you) for you)
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Lessons Learned, con’d.Lessons Learned, con’d.
Don’t:Don’t: be afraid to try be afraid to try different different
thingsthings
settlesettle for “that’s the way we for “that’s the way we always did it”always did it”
believe in “If it believe in “If it isn’t brokenisn’t broken don’t fix it”don’t fix it”
forget that forget that everything everything changeschanges; you have to plan ; you have to plan exactly what to do, under exactly what to do, under every circumstanceevery circumstance
expect lots of expect lots of fundingfunding
think it can’t happen to youthink it can’t happen to you
http://www.fema.gov/regions/iii/index.shtmhttp://www.fema.gov/regions/iii/index.shtm www.redcross.orgwww.redcross.org Other local and regional emergency websitesOther local and regional emergency websites
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In addition…In addition…
Radio and wireless communicationsRadio and wireless communications Integrate across agencies and jurisdictionsIntegrate across agencies and jurisdictions
BUT:BUT: Ensure redundancyEnsure redundancy
Breaking News: Use of Weblogs Breaking News: Use of Weblogs (“BLOGS”) for your security team(“BLOGS”) for your security team www.blogger.comwww.blogger.com www.xanga.comwww.xanga.com
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““Must Do’s”Must Do’s”
Update and refresh e-mails and telephone Update and refresh e-mails and telephone numbers on desktop computers and numbers on desktop computers and directories on handhelds, including directories on handhelds, including cellphonescellphones
Bookmark key websitesBookmark key websites
Include your IT staff in your security Include your IT staff in your security meetingsmeetings
Drill and practice! Drill and practice!
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In SummaryIn Summary
Security threats are real, Security threats are real, whether terrorist-whether terrorist-related or notrelated or not
Good security is good security (“Good security is good security (“SecuritySecurity is Job #1”)is Job #1”)
Build--and Build--and leverage-leverage--strong relationships -strong relationships with other public agencies with other public agencies
Pay attention to details and be Pay attention to details and be flexibleflexible
Involve Involve everyoneeveryone in your security planning in your security planning
