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Washington, D.C.—The long standing inability of the nation to provide an improved level of security at its major seaports is directly linked to failures to provide the Customs Service with sufficient resources for both personnel and technology, the leader of the union representing Customs employees said today.

“U.S. imports, most of it in sealed containers, continues to grow at rates that far outstrip the ability of Customs employees to inspect more than a fraction of it,” said President Colleen M. Kelley of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU). “The need for more resources is painfully obvious.”

NTEU represents some 12,000 Customs employees, including some 7,000 inspectors and canine enforcement officers who make up the front lines in the battle against terrorism, drug smuggling, money laundering, child pornography and other criminal activities.

President Kelley was commenting on a presentation by the television program “60 Minutes,” which highlighted security problems at the nation’s seaports, a circumstance, the television report made clear, that has taken on new importance in the light of last September’s terrorists attacks on the U.S.

“At NTEU, the arguments we have been presenting about the need for substantially greater resources for Customs go back well before the September 11 attacks,” the NTEU leader said. She repeated her criticism of

the administration’s failure last week to seek additional funding for Customs despite asking Congress for another $27.1 billion in security-related spending.

Kelley said she hopes the “60 Minutes” segment helps draw attention to the relatively static size of the Customs workforce, despite not only the enormous growth in trade, but the expansion of the agency’s border security mission in light of the increased dangers posed by the threat of terrorism.

The NTEU leader noted that while high-ranking members of the administration recently have been making scheduled visits to Customs locations, “it would be much more useful” if members of Congress and officials like Commissioner Robert Bonner would make unannounced visits.

“I believe they would see much different pictures than the ones presented by port officials when they know lawmakers and the commissioner are coming,” President Kelley said.

NTEU is the largest independent federal union, representing some 150,000 employees in 25 agencies and departments.