The thousands of truck drivers, longshoremen and other workers who come in and out of the Port of Cleveland will soon have to undergo criminal background checks and fingerprinting under new security
guidelines. Workers with no serious crimes and who don't show up on any terrorist watch lists will receive new smart cards for access to secure parts of the port. Coast Guard Lt Commander Linda
Sturgis of the Marine Safety Unit Cleveland says the Transportation Worker Identification Credential program augments the existing port security.
Linda Sturgis: What this is just an additional level of insurance, checking not just the facility security--the parameters, setbacks, and access, but now the personnel who work within the facility, especially those who work in secure areas, to make sure they've been vetted through some sort of process before gaining access to those areas.
Drivers and workers who access the port have 10 months to apply for the new smart cards. Cleveland is the 18th port in the nation to adopt the program as it's rolled out nationwide. SOC