From the Emergency Management blog:

The maritime industry is all over the place on the implementation of TWIC biometric readers. Some ports volunteered to do pilot programs, others have projects underway to install them and then there is group of ports sitting on the sidelines waiting to see what happens. In the report cited below it is stated that there are ports that intend to do away with their own identification card systems.

It is the 21st Century and you would think that a biometric identification card would not be that difficult to implement. The problem is that this is a national program crossing many states and there are differing opinions as to the value of the TWIC card and the entire credentialing program.

To find out the full status you can read the recently released GAO Report:

Transportation Security, Actions Needed to Address Limitations in TSA’s Transportation Worker Security Threat Assessments and Growing Workload.

It is not a title that will set the world on fire. An alternative title might have been, Transportation Security, We’ve Got Problems.

For more information: