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Police and Security Department Maintain Smooth Operations
The Port of Brownsville Police and Security Department oversee and patrol the 40,000 acres s that encompass the port to ensure the safety of workers and cargo transported along the port’s 17-mile-long ship channel.
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The dedicated team is comprised of 13 sworn police officers and eight security guards standing at the ready to enforce traffic laws to maintain operations. The officers are vigilant protectors 24 hours a day, seven days a week surveilling port property by land, air and water. Port police and security personnel check the identification of everyone entering the port, patrol the ship channel and keep a watchful eye through strategically located security cameras.
Key to the department’s success is the continuous training and investment in infrastructure providing a safe and secure environment to the port community. In addition to the 40 hours of mandated training by the Texas Commission of Law Enforcement, officers at the Port of Brownsville participate in the annual Area Maritime Security Training and Exercise Program (AMSTEP) with more than 20 federal, state and local agencies. The table-top exercise tests the South Texas Area Maritime Security Plan and assesses response capability for security incidents.
The department works in close cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the federal level, and the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Cameron County Sherriff’s office and the Brownsville Police Department at the state and local level supporting the port’s security efforts.
Security means business at the Port of Brownsville Police and Security Department, where commerce is accelerated by proactive protection.
Gulf Shrimp Delivers a True Taste of Texas
The port’s Fishing Harbor is homebase to approximately 180 shrimp boats, which is more than 30 percent of the entire Texas shrimping fleet of 550.
The briny waters of the Gulf of Mexico have given Gulf shrimp a singular and sought-after taste, bringing shrimp boats to the Port of Brownsville for over 70 years.
Gulf shrimp is considered by many to be the most valuable shrimp in the United States. For generations, local families have made shrimping their legacy by sharing best practices to keep the shrimping industry alive throughout the Gulf of Mexico.
The port’s fishing harbor is home base to approximately 180 shrimp boats, which is more than 30 percent of the entire Texas shrimping fleet of 550. Located on the north side of the Brownsville Ship Channel, about five miles east of the Turning Basin, the fishing harbor features three 14-footdeep basins with nearly 9,000 linear feet of docks.
Texas fishermen work year-round, but the peak season opens each July with the traditional Blessing of the Fleet. Each year, fishermen and their families gather before leaving port to pray for a bountiful harvest and for the well-being of all shrimpers while at sea.
Locally, the port’s fleet catches approximately 13 million pounds of shrimp annually valued at approximately $72 million. Additionally, the local shrimp industry supports 1,400 jobs in Cameron County.
The Texas Shrimp Association, based at the port’s fishing harbor, reports 45 million pounds of shrimp are caught by Texas shrimpers each year, contributing approximately $750 million to the Lone Star state’s economy.
