Harbor safety requires the work of several agencies

Deepa Bharath

Targets for terrorists are not limited to 100-story buildings,

famous landmarks and chemical or biological warfare, intelligence

experts say. Peril lurks in the water and could spring out of our

oceans as well.

Alerts issued by the FBI in the early summer suggested that

terrorists could strike in any of the nation’s ports or beaches. The

U.S. Coast Guard issued its own high alert warning to all its units,

asking officers to remain vigilant and investigate any suspicious

activity, including scuba divers.

But local coast safety officials -- the Harbor Patrol, Coast Guard

and lifeguards -- say while they believe it is necessary to remain in

a state of alert given worldwide fear and turmoil, they are almost

certain Newport Beach is an unlikely target for terrorists.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol officers in Newport

Beach watch over much of the county’s coastline and have what it

takes to protect the local communities from imminent danger, said

Harbor Master Marty Kasules.

The unit’s nine deputies and fleet of seven fire boats -- the

largest harbor patrol operation on the West Coast -- guard the

coastline from Long Beach in the north to San Onofre in the south.

On any given day, Newport Harbor is patrolled by four deputies and

one supervisor during the day. During the night and wee hours of the

morning, two deputies command a fire boat with one supervisor on

shore.

Kasules said in the case of an emergency, the Harbor Patrol has

the ability to call for additional resources from the Sheriff’s

Department, including its helicopter, bomb squad and a 14-member dive

team.

The Newport Beach Police helicopter has also assisted in the past

and is available, he added.

The Harbor Patrol technically has a jurisdiction three miles out

into the ocean. ‘’But we have done, and continue to do, several

rescues beyond that limit,’’ Kasules said.

Possible terrorist threats have certainly changed the way the

patrol works in some ways, he said.

‘’We now have deputies stationed at the Catalina Flyer,’’ he said.

‘’That’s because we would like to keep a watch on the large group of

people who gather there every morning.’’

Another step they have taken of late is to ‘’work closer with the

Coast Guard and the police departments, sharing intelligence with one

another.’’

And then there are things that don’t change -- terrorists or no

terrorists.

‘’We’re always watching for things like drug smuggling and

immigrant smuggling,’’ Kasules said.

He said he got a good indication that these partnerships work when

the Harbor Patrol heard about the Chinese immigrants who swam ashore

at Crystal Cove State Beach in May even before they came ashore.

Kasules declined to comment on specific sources, but said the

patrol benefits from a ‘’wide variety of sources.’’

Residents and visitors are also ‘’more vigilant than they used to

be,’’ he said.

‘’We get a lot of phone calls tipping us about suspicious boats or

suspicious activity,’’ Kasules said, adding that deputies continue to

maintain a high level of alertness, although Newport Beach is not

considered a ‘’high-risk area.’’

‘’Personally, I believe Los Angeles or Long Beach are bigger

targets for their commerce value and maybe San Diego for military

purposes,’’ Kasules said. ‘’But then again, you never know.’’

It is simply unclear where another terrorist attack could come

from, he said.

‘’But here, we do have emergency plans in place for the harbor as

well as for the coastline,’’ Kasules said. ‘’We’re very well aware of

what agencies can assist us in case of emergencies.’’

Above all, the deputies who patrol the harbor have been here a

long time and are familiar with their surroundings, he said.

‘’These guys know every boat that moves in the harbor,’’ Kasules

said. ‘’Familiarity is a great strength.’’

Kasules said he is comfortable with the level of security in

Newport Harbor.

‘’I think we’re in good shape,’’ he said.

The U.S. Coast Guard declined to talk in depth about its security

operations, but spokesman Capt. Stephen LaLonde said the agency has

been instructed to maintain ‘’a very high state of alertness and

vigilance.’’

The Coast Guard cutter Narwhal patrols the coast from Ensenada to

Morro Bay, about 300 nautical miles of coastline, said commander Lt.

John Kidwell.

They have been stationed in Newport Beach since Sept. 5, 2001.

‘’Our primary duties are law enforcement, search and rescue and

port security,’’ Kidwell said. ‘’We work with several agencies

including the Orange County Sheriff’s, Orange County Harbors and

Parks, lifeguards and Harbor Patrol.’’

Newport Beach as home base offers the Narwahl several advantages,

such as being centrally located between Los Angeles and San Diego, he

said.

‘’We have a great rapport with the boating public and know what

kind of boats are in the harbor,’’ Kidwell said. ‘’We know what kind

of activity goes on here.’’

He said Newport Beach seems like a safe place, but that given the

worldwide situation, things are unpredictable.

‘’Anything can happen anywhere,’’ he said.

In fact, the spring incident when the Chinese immigrants swam into

Crystal Cove is a low-risk reminder that ‘’such situations can happen

anywhere,’’ said Ken Kramer, spokesman for the State Lifeguards,

which patrols that beach.

‘’In today’s challenging times, I don’t think anybody or any place

is a 100% immune,’’ he said.

As far as Crystal Cove State Park is concerned, officers patrol

the area around the clock, Kramer said.

‘’We’re directly sharing information and intelligence locally as

well as nationally,’’ he said. ‘’We play the eyes and ears role and

we have varied patrol patterns that we don’t publicly disclose.’’

About seven State Parks officials patrol the Crystal Cove area,

Kramer said.

There are also about 30 to 40 State Parks employees in the area

who perform a variety of tasks and duties, he said.

The lifeguards and police form a small and peripheral part of

safeguarding the coast, officials said.

There are ‘’no heavy security issues on the beach,’’ said Newport

Beach Lifeguard Capt. Eric Bauer.

‘’The only thing we’ve done of late is to alert our supervisors

about all the warning bulletins that have come out,’’ he said.

‘’Otherwise, we always look out for suspicious activity on the

beach.’’

No specific instructions have been handed out to lifeguards on

duty, Bauer said.

‘’I think it’s more intuitive than something we teach them or

instruct them about,’’ he said. ‘’As far as I can see, our primary

job continues to be rescuing people from rip currents. People come to

our beach to relax and have fun.’’

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at [email protected].