In peacetime, port security is the responsibility of the Secretary of 

 the Treasury, with the program being carried out by both Coast Guard 

 and Bureau of Customs. The scope of the program varies according 

 to policy determination reflecting security needs at any given time. 

 The statutory authority is permissive rather than mandatory. 



In wartime, the program is greatly expanded, becoming the re- 

 sponsibility of the Secretary of the Navy, who in turn delegates this 

 responsibility to the Coast Guard. The statutory authority in the 

 Magnuson Act places a mandate on port security functions. 



Agreements 



There are no formal agreements with other agencies regarding the 

 current port security program. There is an agreement with the 

 Office of Emergency Planning concerning the control of small craft 

 in wartime port security. The agreement pertains primarily to use 

 of tugs and harbor craft, with Coast Guard having initial control over 

 the tugs so that merchant vessels may be moved to safe anchorages. 



Recommendations 



Considering the sensitivity of port areas in peace as well as war, the 

 personnel screening program should be continued. The port security 

 program should also be extended, and in some places personnel in- 

 creased, in the Great Lakes area and Alaska. 



Military Readiness 



While designed and operating as an agency to keep the peace, the 

 Coast Guard, as any police force must be, is organized and equipped 

 to fight when and if war comes. 



Title 14 U.S. Code states that the Coast Guard shall be a military 

 service and a branch of the armed forces of the United States at all 

 times, operating in the Treasury Department in peacetime. Title 14 

 also directs the Coast Guard always to be ready to function as a 



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