Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Saturday

Security Increased Around the Country

Aired May 24, 2003 - 12:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: This holiday may be about red, white and blue, but on the home security front, it's all about orange, the color code for the current high terror threat level. In New York City, CNN's Jamie Colby outlines security efforts there there, and right along the New York harbor -- Jamie.
JAMIE COLBY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred, it's a good day for a boat ride. And this high-tech, high-speed vessel is the latest in the arsenal against terrorism used by the U.S. Park Police. Their job is to monitor, not only the waterways, but some of our most famous landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and I'm here with Officer Pete Culver who's going to tell us a little bit about what is so special about the "Moose."

What is so special about this vessel?

OFFICER PETE CULVER, U.S. PARK POLICE: Well, Jamie, what's so special about this vessel is its fast, and the most important thing is it's got great maneuverability. It got great maneuverability because acts simply like a giant jet ski. It's got twin water jets, as proposed -- as opposed to a standard propeller, conventional vessel. And this vessel gives us the opportunity, also, to get into a foot of water in an emergency situation.

COLBY: So as little as a foot for search and rescue or recovery. But, we can talk about it all day, Fredricka. Let's just show you a little bit of what it can do. Can we see some of the maneuvers out here?

CULVER: Sure, go ahead, Ray.

COLBY: We have to hold on for this one, for sure.

And so one of the thing that's so special, Fred, about the "Moose" is that it can get into waterways that other vessels could not and it can turn on a dime, it can stop on a dime, and it can also go side to side. And officer, this was just put into the water this week for the first time, correct?

CULVER: That's correct. It's a brand-new vessel to our fleet to help in the operation in protecting icons like the Statue of Liberty. We also patrol waters of Jamaican Bay and we cover the waters surrounding the JFK Airport.

COLBY: And Fredricka, they're keeping a very close watch this weekend on bridges, as well. They'll test it out this week and if it works, there may be more of them in waterways around the country. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: Now Jamie, does the "Moose" work alone?

COLBY: Well, basically, these officers are specially trained and what they've been doing is they've been studying the vehicle -- vessel to see how much it can do.

WHITFIELD: All right, Jamie Colby, along the "Moose" there -- right there in the New York harbor and obviously, a little difficult to see because that "Moose" is on the job there.

Well, security will also be extra tight along the nation's coastlines and I'm talking about the Atlantic Coast and Pacific Coast. CNN's Susan Candiotti joins us live from Key Biscayne, Florida -- Susan.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. The heightened state of alert is not making a bit of difference to thousands of beachgoers this Memorial Day weekend, here to enjoy the sun and the surf. We are at Cape Florida Recreational Park; it's a beautiful spot and well known for its landmark lighthouse. Now, Florida's coastline goes on for hundreds of miles, and protecting it is not an easy job.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Considering there's 1800 miles of Florida coastline, 8,000 thousand miles if you count every bit of shoreline, protecting it seems overwhelming.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You realize how vulnerable we are when you view the coastline, not by ship, but by helicopter.

CANDIOTTI: Migrants know it. For years, they've taken their chances of getting caught because they know from time-to-time they'll make it to shore. Earlier this year, one man wasn't stopped until local police saw him walking down the street in Key West.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You understand why, time and again, Cuban refugees and others make their way on to the South Florida coastline, because it's huge, there are vast inlets and it's almost impossible to cover.

CANDIOTTI: But if migrants know the coastlines inescapable vulnerabilities, so could terrorists. The U.S. Coast Guard blankets the Atlantic and uses satellites, radar and intelligence to look for potential trouble. Other federal, state and local police agencies patrol the shoreline and beaches. After September 11, there's been a heightened sense of awareness.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Having some of the parks on the coast, we keep a little bit more eye on the waterways, of people coming in, anything that looks suspicious, our guys will check it out or call it in.

CANDIOTTI: With two major seaports in South Florida alone, authorities admit they cannot inspect every cargo container. So, doesn't the public have reason to worry?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have much better intelligence and intelligence-sharing then we had ever before. So, the systems are in place and they really need to continue on with their normal activities.

CANDIOTTI: This weekend, thousands of beachgoers are heeding that advice. The Mongalo (ph) family says it's watching out for trouble and did not let the increased terror alert change its plans.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whatever's going to happen, you know, we're ready for it, you know. It's something that -- right there home, then they'll be winning the war, that's what they want.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CANDIOTTI (on camera): Now the U.S. Coast Guard has a tip line, encourages people to use it and says they are. They've launched a number of investigations based on those tips, but so far, the Coast Guard says, none has resulted in any terror arrests -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Susan, we heard from the Coast Guard, he said that they have new intelligence and more sophisticated intelligence that they're able to use. How about new technology?

CANDIOTTI: Oh, absolutely. All kinds of things, unfortunately, when you ask them for more information, more detail about that you can't pin them down. They say they don't want to reveal too much.

WHITFIELD: Of course. Now Susan, how about the folks that are right there on the beach? The majority of the folks there are saying they really are trying not to worry too much about security; they're leaving that in the hands of others?

CANDIOTTI: They are, they're not worried about it at all, otherwise they say, they wouldn't be out here in the first place. Some of them told us that they are look out for anything that look suspicious and said they would let people know if they saw something. There are patrols that we see down here from time-to-time but there is no lifeguard, no patrol officer standing here all the time, so hopefully, if they did see something suspicious, they might have a cell phone and could call it in.

WHITFIELD: All right, Susan Candiotti, at a very sunny Key Biscayne, Florida. Thanks very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired May 24, 2003 - 12:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: This holiday may be about red, white and blue, but on the home security front, it's all about orange, the color code for the current high terror threat level. In New York City, CNN's Jamie Colby outlines security efforts there there, and right along the New York harbor -- Jamie.
JAMIE COLBY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred, it's a good day for a boat ride. And this high-tech, high-speed vessel is the latest in the arsenal against terrorism used by the U.S. Park Police. Their job is to monitor, not only the waterways, but some of our most famous landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and I'm here with Officer Pete Culver who's going to tell us a little bit about what is so special about the "Moose."

What is so special about this vessel?

OFFICER PETE CULVER, U.S. PARK POLICE: Well, Jamie, what's so special about this vessel is its fast, and the most important thing is it's got great maneuverability. It got great maneuverability because acts simply like a giant jet ski. It's got twin water jets, as proposed -- as opposed to a standard propeller, conventional vessel. And this vessel gives us the opportunity, also, to get into a foot of water in an emergency situation.

COLBY: So as little as a foot for search and rescue or recovery. But, we can talk about it all day, Fredricka. Let's just show you a little bit of what it can do. Can we see some of the maneuvers out here?

CULVER: Sure, go ahead, Ray.

COLBY: We have to hold on for this one, for sure.

And so one of the thing that's so special, Fred, about the "Moose" is that it can get into waterways that other vessels could not and it can turn on a dime, it can stop on a dime, and it can also go side to side. And officer, this was just put into the water this week for the first time, correct?

CULVER: That's correct. It's a brand-new vessel to our fleet to help in the operation in protecting icons like the Statue of Liberty. We also patrol waters of Jamaican Bay and we cover the waters surrounding the JFK Airport.

COLBY: And Fredricka, they're keeping a very close watch this weekend on bridges, as well. They'll test it out this week and if it works, there may be more of them in waterways around the country. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: Now Jamie, does the "Moose" work alone?

COLBY: Well, basically, these officers are specially trained and what they've been doing is they've been studying the vehicle -- vessel to see how much it can do.

WHITFIELD: All right, Jamie Colby, along the "Moose" there -- right there in the New York harbor and obviously, a little difficult to see because that "Moose" is on the job there.

Well, security will also be extra tight along the nation's coastlines and I'm talking about the Atlantic Coast and Pacific Coast. CNN's Susan Candiotti joins us live from Key Biscayne, Florida -- Susan.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. The heightened state of alert is not making a bit of difference to thousands of beachgoers this Memorial Day weekend, here to enjoy the sun and the surf. We are at Cape Florida Recreational Park; it's a beautiful spot and well known for its landmark lighthouse. Now, Florida's coastline goes on for hundreds of miles, and protecting it is not an easy job.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Considering there's 1800 miles of Florida coastline, 8,000 thousand miles if you count every bit of shoreline, protecting it seems overwhelming.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You realize how vulnerable we are when you view the coastline, not by ship, but by helicopter.

CANDIOTTI: Migrants know it. For years, they've taken their chances of getting caught because they know from time-to-time they'll make it to shore. Earlier this year, one man wasn't stopped until local police saw him walking down the street in Key West.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You understand why, time and again, Cuban refugees and others make their way on to the South Florida coastline, because it's huge, there are vast inlets and it's almost impossible to cover.

CANDIOTTI: But if migrants know the coastlines inescapable vulnerabilities, so could terrorists. The U.S. Coast Guard blankets the Atlantic and uses satellites, radar and intelligence to look for potential trouble. Other federal, state and local police agencies patrol the shoreline and beaches. After September 11, there's been a heightened sense of awareness.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Having some of the parks on the coast, we keep a little bit more eye on the waterways, of people coming in, anything that looks suspicious, our guys will check it out or call it in.

CANDIOTTI: With two major seaports in South Florida alone, authorities admit they cannot inspect every cargo container. So, doesn't the public have reason to worry?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have much better intelligence and intelligence-sharing then we had ever before. So, the systems are in place and they really need to continue on with their normal activities.

CANDIOTTI: This weekend, thousands of beachgoers are heeding that advice. The Mongalo (ph) family says it's watching out for trouble and did not let the increased terror alert change its plans.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whatever's going to happen, you know, we're ready for it, you know. It's something that -- right there home, then they'll be winning the war, that's what they want.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CANDIOTTI (on camera): Now the U.S. Coast Guard has a tip line, encourages people to use it and says they are. They've launched a number of investigations based on those tips, but so far, the Coast Guard says, none has resulted in any terror arrests -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Susan, we heard from the Coast Guard, he said that they have new intelligence and more sophisticated intelligence that they're able to use. How about new technology?

CANDIOTTI: Oh, absolutely. All kinds of things, unfortunately, when you ask them for more information, more detail about that you can't pin them down. They say they don't want to reveal too much.

WHITFIELD: Of course. Now Susan, how about the folks that are right there on the beach? The majority of the folks there are saying they really are trying not to worry too much about security; they're leaving that in the hands of others?

CANDIOTTI: They are, they're not worried about it at all, otherwise they say, they wouldn't be out here in the first place. Some of them told us that they are look out for anything that look suspicious and said they would let people know if they saw something. There are patrols that we see down here from time-to-time but there is no lifeguard, no patrol officer standing here all the time, so hopefully, if they did see something suspicious, they might have a cell phone and could call it in.

WHITFIELD: All right, Susan Candiotti, at a very sunny Key Biscayne, Florida. Thanks very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com