Safety Officials Worried About Range Of Potential Drone Threats

Federal and local officials are still scrambling to prepare for potential drone threats at World Cup sites around the U.S. just weeks before the games begin, Politico is reporting.

The reasons for the scramble are varied, including a shortage of equipment to track and use countermeasures against drones, a two-month Homeland Security department shutdown that hurt preparation, and new authorities governing drone use that many officials are still trying to understand.

A new law, known as the Safer Skies Act, mandates that DHS and the Justice Department — working with the Pentagon and Transportation Department — develop and publish fresh rules for state and local law enforcement.

“Now you have to actually implement the law, and the timing sucks because they’re trying to implement as they’re trying to execute at the same time — and that is challenging,” said a drone industry official who was granted anonymity to speak candidly about law enforcement issues. “The rules are still being written.”

The gaps are adding to security worries about the once-every-four-years international soccer championship, which is expected to bring millions of fans to the United States, Mexico and Canada. And some — especially local officials in states like California — worry both about the threat and about who will get the blame should something go wrong.

“If there’s an incident, or when there’s an incident, there’s going to be a lot of finger-pointing,” said the drone industry official. “Everyone’s going to be looking for a scapegoat.”

Safety officials are concerned about a range of potential drone threats, from nuisance flights that interrupt a soccer match to more serious attacks that put crowds at risk of injury, such as a dirty bomb. The first game in the U.S. will be June 12 in Inglewood, Calif., between Paraguay and the United States. Other U.S sites include Atlanta, Boston, Dallas/Arlington, Houston, Kansas City, Miami/Gardens, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle. In all, there will be 11 games in the United States, two in Canada and three in Mexico.

In April, Secret Service Director Sean Curran told lawmakers that his agency was having a tough time acquiring counter-drone technology. While he didn’t provide details on the shortage, typical countermeasures include portable or wearable detection or jamming tools, as well as radio-frequency sensors or cameras. He faulted “supply-chain issues” while noting that the agency spent more than $100 million in the past year and a half to get up to speed.

Curran also said the Secret Service would lean on the Pentagon for support.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said earlier this month that “the threat level is extremely high,” especially in areas outside the stadiums, speaking broadly about the overall security environment.

The federal preparations involve Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Protective Service, the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard and the Secret Service.