NCJ Number
125366
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 57 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1990) Pages: 47-50
Date Published
1990
Length
4 pages
Annotation
It has been estimated that at least one act of piracy occurs every day somewhere in the world.
Abstract
Piracy differs from maritime terrorism in that piracy is violence at sea for private ends as opposed to the publicity or coercion sought by terrorists. The most active areas for piracy are the Far East, the Caribbean, and northeastern Africa where political instability along the coastline is currently presenting a serious threat to shipping. In many areas, there is a strong relationship between piracy and drug smuggling. Numerous incidents of piracy and narcoterrorism have been documented. Moreover, the capability of carrying out marine attacks is greater than most people realize. Effective responses to threats and incidents of piracy are being developed, from alerts provided by the U.S. Defense Mapping Agency's Navigation Information Network to development of improved security measures for cruise lines. The U.S. State Department's Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program is providing training and assistance to friendly foreign governments in an effort to upgrade their maritime and port security.