LADWP mismanagement increases terrorism vulnerabilities

Mismanagement at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is exposing the City of L.A. to potential terrorist threat:

The city's reservoirs and electricity plants are vulnerable to terrorist attacks because the Department of Water and Power has not done enough to screen, train and manage guards, according to security workers interviewed for an internal report.

Keys to sensitive facilities were carelessly handed out to contractors, and guards had to patrol remote sites alone with radios that couldn't reach distant security staff, employees told a researcher hired to assess workplace conditions.

"All a terrorist has to do is hit our water and power, and L.A. would be gone," one employee says in the report, obtained by the Los Angeles Times.

The security employees said in focus-group interviews that "possible sabotage" of agency facilities was a concern.

"They very emphatically stated that almost anyone can get a job as a security officer within LADWP and that these individuals have automatic access to all facilities and security procedures," the report says. "They stated that water facilities are an especially easy target for infiltration."

As new energy projects, such as LNG terminals are being cited as potential terrorist targets by hyper-ventilating opponents, it is forgotten that existing facilities can be just as great a target--the key is managing the security properly...and good management is something LADWP is not famous for.