Cosmo Perrone’s mission to revamp and modernize security at the Port of Long Beach has not gone unnoticed by the security industry. The Port’s Director of Security has been recognized as one of the “Top 25 Most Influential People in the Security Industry” by Security Magazine (securitymag.com), a leading trade journal.
“Port Authority Visionary” is how the journal described Perrone, who has brought the Port’s Security Division into the 21st century with his focus on efficient organization, cutting-edge technology and best security practices.
Perrone, a former security director in Long Beach for aerospace giant Boeing, has served as the Port’s Director of Security for three years. In that time he has been instrumental in shifting the Port’s security operations from an older, localized law-enforcement model to a more contemporary one that emphasizes homeland security, asset protection and intra-agency cooperation.
“I bring a private-sector perspective to the position of Director of Security at the Port of Long Beach,” Perrone is quoted in Security’s December issue. “When I came on board I saw a need for a new direction in the way the organization approached security.”
His innovations include a port-wide network of surveillance cameras, radar and sonar sensors to enhance “domain awareness” below water, at water level and on land. He is also overseeing implementation of the Port’s state-of-the-art Command and Control Center, set to open later this year. The Command and Control Center, among other functions, will integrate domain awareness among the Port’s many security forces, including the U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection and other response agencies and Port stakeholders, and serve as a regional resource during an emergency.
Perrone describes his approach as “holistic,” in that it seeks to integrate all the security resources at the Port, and “dynamic,” in that it can adapt and evolve as needed.
“I believe we will be a benchmark for port security systems in the United States,” Perrone said. “This is where port security is headed in this era.”
“Cosmo Perrone sets high standards for security operations and planning here at the Port,” said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Richard D. Steinke. “His leadership in security is crucial for the community and the shipping industry.”
Perrone is the only seaport official named in Security Magazine’s “Top 25.” Others on the list include the Vice President of Security for the National Football League, the Vice President of Assets Protection for Target Corporation, as well as industry-leading security consultants, researchers and entrepreneurs.
Perrone holds a law degree from Western State University in Fullerton. An avid organic gardener, he grows much of the fruits and vegetables consumed by his family.
