Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen, who opposes the politicians’ attempts to bifurcate the USCG’s highly variegated portfolio, has been talking about increased cooperation with industry players. Such moves make total sense in the current economic environment where the “opportunity cost” of delaying vessels is enormous. One very sensible idea emerging from the dialogue is to developing a cadre of civilian maritime savvy inspectors. While directed by the USCG, and presumably reporting to a local Captain of the Port, these non-uniformed personnel would not be toting weapons around.

The smooth functioning of port operations, intertwined with the scheduling of expensive maritime assets, requires a certain comfort level between the mariners and the regulators. In testimony before Congress, Joe Cox, president of the Chamber of Shipping of America, expressed this eloquently: “Our imperative is to find ways to enhance the synergies between effective safety and security programs…”

Admiral Allen, in his testimony, offered: “Throughout our history, the maritime industry has benefited from the USCG’s multi-mission nature and our ability to strike a balance between maintaining both the safety and security of our nation’s ports.” These days, good security is intertwined with good business, with many information systems at the operating level dually purposed. If the USCG, retaining its mission set, can tweak its interface with the maritime industry, maybe infusing a greater civilian component, all the stakeholders in US ports will benefit.

A ship unnecessarily held out of its berth, with all the accompanying delays is the commercial equivalent of an explosive device. Such “weaponry” is not needed in our ports.