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Safe harbor: Noel Cunningham began his law enforcement career in the LAPD at the time of the Watts riots. Now he's in charge of port security.

Article Excerpt
LAST December, city officials appointed Noel Cunningham to the post of director of operations and emergency management for the Port of Los Angeles. In his new position, Cunningham oversees port police, homeland security and emergency management programs. Cunningham rose through the ranks of the Los Angeles Police Department starting in 1965 and became captain before leaving in 1991 to take the job as the Port of Los Angeles' chief of port police.

Question: The ports of L.A. and Long Beach have been singled out as prime terrorist targets. How concerned are you?

Answer: We've always felt we were a target and that's been confirmed by folks who share intelligence with us. We have appeared on several terrorist target lists. Even prior to international terrorism, we were targets of environmentalists--the militants like the Greenpeace folks. They would come down to the port and do their demonstrations because they felt the seaports were taking in lumber from the Amazon forest that it shouldn't have taken in. We've always had experience taking on these types of issues. So the terrorists who take on the suicide bomb approach just raise it to a higher level.

Q: But you have to be far less concerned about a Greenpeace activist than a terrorist.

A: Each little exposure you get in law...