Also, rushing legislation through Congress without considering the diverse security needs of U.S. ports could have a major impact on the port industry. Any legislation considered by Congress should be sensitive to the unique nature and complexity of the industry. There is no universal approach to security that would appropriately address the wide range of individual port requirements, therefore, AAPA believes that it is important for the port industry, Congress and the appropriate Federal agencies to work in cooperation in considering the issues raised in the Commission's report. America's port industry is vast, versatile and highly competitive, consisting of deep draft commercial seaports dispersed along the Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf and Great Lakes coasts. Furthermore, ports differ in the way they are operated.
AAPA membership consists of operating, landlord and limited operating ports.
Operating ports are those in which cargo handling inland from the pier is performed by port authority employees. At landlord ports, these functions are performed by tenants. Limited operating ports combine these roles, leasing some facilities and operating others. With such varied control over port operations and facilities, what works in one port to control crime and security may not work in another port. The Commission's report concludes that the primary criminal activity at seaports is in violation of federal laws, for which Federal agencies are primarily responsible.