PORT OF LOS ANGELES TO OFFER MARITIME OFFICERS TRAINING PROGRAM

Collaborative Effort between Port Police and L.A. County Sheriff’s Department

SAN PEDRO, Calif. — June 4, 2009 — A state-certified Maritime Officers Training Program approved today by the Los Angeles Harbor Commission will be developed jointly by Los Angeles Port Police and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department to help establish consistent incident response protocols.  The goal of the course is to establish consistency of maritime training throughout the state. 
           
The Maritime Officers Training Program will ensure that all port-based maritime law enforcement officers are uniformly trained in all aspects of port security and anti-terrorism.  The course is aimed at enhancing officer safety and Port security and is being funded through State of California Proposition 1B funding.

“This new maritime educational offering will establish the Port of Los Angeles as the premier maritime training academy in the country”, said Port Executive Director Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D.  “It puts our port on the map as an international leader with respect to port and maritime security.”

Presently, Port police officers do undergo training on maritime enforcement but there are few educational options that are state certified.  The new program involves 120-220 hours of classroom instruction and field exercise.

The Port of Los Angeles, also known as “America’s Port,” has a strong commitment to developing innovative strategic and sustainable operations that benefit the economy and the quality of life for the region and the nation it serves. A recipient of numerous environmental awards, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2007 Clean Air Excellence Award, the Port of Los Angeles is committed to innovating cleaner, greener ways of doing business. As the leading seaport in North America in terms of shipping container volume and cargo value, the Port generates 919,000 regional jobs and $39.1 billion in annual wages and tax revenues. A proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles, the Port is self-supporting and does not receive taxpayer dollars. The Port of Los Angeles - A cleaner port. A brighter future.