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Charleston, SC -
A program dedicated to protecting our port is now in desperate need of money. Project Seahawk is a one of a kind task force in charge of watching over the Port of Charleston. But without federal money, part of the task force maybe lost.
The money is needed to keep the local agencies involved. Without their help, the Secretary of Homeland Security says Seahawk will not be as effective.
It's a port that sees more than two thousand ships a year, and close to two million containers. Its impact to the local economy is obvious but along with the commerce comes a very real threat.
“Our enemy is think everyday how to hit us and I cant think of a more vital target than the port of Charleston given what we do for the war effort,” said U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham.
Nearly half of all supplies sent to the men and women in combat overseas come from the Charleston port. In 2002, a new program called Seahawk launched, combining local state, and federal law enforcement in the same room. Their job is to share information, patrol the harbor, and run checks on the crews calling on Charleston.
“As a result of the cooperation between the federal local and state authorities, Charleston is safer and I think the nation can be safer,” said Sen. Graham.
But to keep the locals on staff, Senator Graham says Seahawk needs 880 thousand in federal funding, The Secretary of Homeland security Janet Napolitano believes the project is worth the money.
“Some of us have been around this block before and I think there are ways to figure this out if we put our minds to it to figure this out and that what we are committed to do,” said Napolitano.
Seahawk started out with the Department of Justice and will transfer to Homeland Security on October 1st and Napolitano says the funding need to be found by that date.
The 880 thousand sound like a drop in the bucket at the federal level but Graham says its a matter of what programs will help fund the project. The Secretary of Homeland Security did say the Seahawk program should be replicated at ports across the country.
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