NCJ Number
199628
Journal
Sheriff Volume: 55 Issue: 2 Dated: March-April 2003 Pages: 10-12
Date Published
March 2003
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article describes the role of sheriff's departments in providing security before the launching and in the aftermath of the tragedy of the space shuttle Columbia (STS-107).
Abstract
Because of the presence of an Israeli astronaut as well as the general terrorist threat against the United States, security was a primary concern for the Columbia's launching. Florida's Region Five Homeland Security Task Force was responsible for all security outside of the Kennedy Space Center and for ensuring the safety and security of all the foreign guests, as well as for transit to and from the base. The Brevard County Sheriff's Office (Florida), as part of Region Five, was the lead agency in coordinating and overseeing the operation. The effort involved several hundred officers, together with their official vehicles. Security operations involved more than 22 international, Federal, State, county, and local agencies. This included six Florida sheriff's offices. The Brevard County sheriff mobilized every asset at his disposal in this operation. Even though the operation had an implicit Federal mandate, no one had specifically indicated who would pay for it. U.S. Representative Dave Weldon (R-FL) promised to explore whether a $3.5 billion homeland security initiative for first-responders could be used for funding. Security for the Columbia's landing was transformed upon receiving the news of the failed re-entry, as sheriff's offices over a wide area became responsible for finding and guarding debris from the shuttle.