August
28, 2004
Area
Boaters are Urged to Watch for Terrorist Activity
Jennifer
C. Smith - Courier-Journal
As the Ohio River flowed nearby, Kenneth Cartwright Sr. of
Jeffersonville, Ind., scanned the water, admitting that danger could be
lurking.
As he loaded fishing gear on his boat at Duffy's Landing in
Jeffersonville yesterday, Cartwright was given information about an
effort to have citizens watch for possible terrorist activity on the
nation's waterways.
He said he thought that was a good idea. "You can't just stop
terrorism, but you can be cautious," Cartwright said.
Rising concern about a lack of government surveillance on waterways has
prompted the Coast Guard to launch the nationwide America's Waterway
Watch, said Capt. Nicolaas Wiese , of the Guard's Auxiliary Division.
The program combines seven regional coastal watch programs begun after
the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks under the auspices of the Department of
Homeland Security.
The Louisville and Jeffersonville vicinity became part of the
federal watch program two weeks ago, when Wiese and fellow Coast Guard
Auxiliary members began distributing pamphlets, videos and decals to
recreational boaters and marina operators and at boating and
fishing conventions, he said.
Wiese's patrol area stretches from the Portland neighborhood to Eighteen
Mile Island .
"I personally believe this is the way to fight the terrorism
thing," said the 69-year-old Jeffersonville resident. "This is
the way we can defend ourselves."
Boaters are asked to watch for vessels or individuals acting
suspiciously, including "under and around bridges, tunnels or
overpasses, near industrial facilities, near ports, fuel docks or cruise
ships."
They are also told to be aware of "people appearing to be engaged
in surveillance, lights flashing between boats, or small planes flying
over critical areas."
Suspicious behavior can be reported to the National Response Center in
Washington, D.C. at (800) 424-8802.
While no credible threats to the Ohio River have been reported, the
amount of barge traffic on the river requires greater awareness, Wiese
said.
Coast Guard officials said the program is not intended to increase fear,
but is a community investment.
"The idea being that people who live and work in these areas know
what goes on in a regular basis," said Lt. Commander Ralph Tieszen
of the Coast Guard Reserve. The watch "allays fears of the people
and it also gives people a way to participate."
Beth Wilson , the executive director of the American Civil Liberties
Union of Kentucky, said, however, "My concern about this is
nonprofessional people not in the field of law enforcement will be
essentially spying on their neighbors."
By Bill Luster, The Courier-Journal
Capt. Nicolaas Wiese , right, of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, briefed
Kenneth Cartwright Sr. and his wife, Parketta, about the effort to have
citizens watch for possible terrorist activity on the nation's
waterways. In part, boaters are asked to watch for vessels or
individuals acting suspiciously.