Biometrics helping to secure U.S. ports

On November 7, the Port of Tacoma, WA, the Port of Honolulu, HI and the Port of Baton Rouge, LA will begin enrolling truck operators, longshoremen and other port workers and in the Dept. of Homeland Security's Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program.

The program's goal is to ensure that any individual who has unescorted access to secure areas of port facilities and vessels has received a thorough background check and is not a security threat.

The addition of these three ports will bring to five the total number of ports actively enrolling in the nationwide program. Ultimately, established fixed enrollment centers will be in place at 147 ports along with mobile enrollment centers at dozens of other locations as needed.

"The start of enrollment is one more step in our effort to prevent persons who are a threat from gaining access to secure areas of port facilities," said Maurine Fanguy, TWIC program director for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). "We appreciate the support of our partners at the Port of Tacoma for helping to make one of the world's most advanced interoperable biometric systems a reality."