Not Enough People, Not Enough Training: Airport Screeners Continue To Miss Hidden Weapons
EmailAirport security screeners reportedly missed a vast majority of concealed guns and bombs in a recent test at one of the busiest airports in the country, and one expert tells ABC News there’s a simple explanation: Not enough people working the checkpoints. The Newark Star-Ledger reports 20 out of 22 weapons got past screeners at Newark Liberty International Airport checkpoints. ABC News aviation consultant John Nance says that while screening has improved since 9/11, "One of the reasons it’s not perfect is that they haven’t given us enough people." THE BLOTTER RECOMMENDS Seized at the Airport, Sold Online: Bureaucrats Get Creative Dress Code Dropped for Undercover Air Marshals Click Here to Ask Brian Ross a Question He says training is also a problem. "They failed these tests, and that means more needs to be done with training." The airport’s Federal Security Director Mark Hatfield Jr. agrees "training is the path to improved performance," and he told the Star-Ledger, "We can do better." But training has been a consistent problem in the past. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) says covert tests — like the one in Newark, where weapons are hidden to test airport screeners — have shown "weaknesses and vulnerabilities continue to exist" at airports of all sizes. A GAO report in April stated that part of the problem was "attracting, hiring and retaining" an adequate pool of screeners and that staffing shortages make it difficult for screeners to attend mandatory training. It also said screeners at some airports have trouble using the TSA’s online training resources because they lack high-speed Internet connections. TSA officials would not comment on the recent Newark Airport test results, but a spokeswoman told the Star-Ledger that concealed weapons tests have a "high level of difficulty" and that TSA uses those results "to adapt and improve upon our screening protocols and training regimens." TSA has been phasing in new explosive detection systems, which scan bags automatically and reduce the potential for human error, but the upgrade is projected to cost $22.4 billion over 20 years, and at the current rate, the new systems won’t be fully operational until 2024. Airport screening isn’t the only area where aviation security has run into problems. Read about trouble with the Federal Air Marshal program.
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And this is a surprise?
So, 20 of 22 weapons got by screeners and someone says security screening is better today than pre 9/11. So, back then, 21 or 22 out of 22 got by. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that this is not much of an improvement.
Posted by: gus | October 30, 2006, 4:33 pm 4:33 pm
Check out their pay scale; remember the old saying: “You get what you pay for.”
Posted by: David Conklin | October 30, 2006, 5:26 pm 5:26 pm
The scary part of this equation is that the baggage screeners are being sought after to replace all of the Federal Air Marshals that are leaving the TSA in droves.
TSA and Federal Air Marshal top management believe this will stay under the radar. The TSA management has failed to adequately address quality of life issues and have conspired to hide retention problems.
On paper, the TSA is replacing one officer for another. That is why the TSA renamed the baggage screeners title(Tranportation Security OFFICERS!!)
The American Public should demand that the Fedral Air Marshal program NOT be a “starter job” filled with ex baggage screeners.
Real Law enforcement experience is the key to an effective Federal Air Marshal mission. Making your first arrest at 30,000 feet with no back-up should not be an on the job training exercise.
Posted by: thetruth | October 30, 2006, 6:06 pm 6:06 pm
Unless and until the government figures out that hard physical security means nothing without scrutinizing the reservations data, we will continue to be at risk. It isn’t necessary to invade people’s privacy either. There is plenty of information available in an airline reservation to give an intelligence officer the tools they need to follow up leads.
Posted by: FA | October 30, 2006, 6:18 pm 6:18 pm
The problem with the airline screeners is now they are looking for scissors, hair gel and toothpaste not in plastic baggies and devoting their time to ensuring no container is larger than three ounces. When the government cuts out these banal ‘security’ checks and learns to pick out things like hand guns, that will be an efficient use of TSA time and money. Simply throwing more money and buying new equipment will not solve the problem. Screeners need to look for the right things with the equipment they have.
Posted by: Fiore Mastroianni | October 31, 2006, 2:36 am 2:36 am
The trust in computerscreening is
extremely overeggarated, as overall trust i computers worldwide, Failures, manipulated data worldwide indicate, that humans cannot be replaced by computers, neither specially trained dogs in checking BAGs.
Human intervention, regular checks
per hand, and with the help of specially trained dogs (baggages),
can be utmost helpful , and should not be neglected.
Posted by: O'Dell | October 31, 2006, 5:31 am 5:31 am
It isn’t only the training and personnel-its also the technology.
Other countries have implemented advanced low dose x ray screening technology that can readily detect any concealed items on or within a suspect in about 10 seconds that works. All without any safety or privacy concerns. Unfortunately TSA his still foot dragging in this area and has not tested or embraced this technolgy but rather thwarts it.
So until TSA seeks out new proven technology American passengers remain at risk.
Posted by: Doug | October 31, 2006, 8:05 am 8:05 am
As a former TSA Security Officer I can tell you that the reason TSA can not keep employees is simple, Part Time pay for Part Time work!! When the American people complained to congress that there were too many screeners on board in 2002-2003, the screening force was at its peak of 55,000, thats 10,000 over what it is now. TSA also said it was more beneficial to hire part time screeners over full time screener for budgetary reasons. As a part time screener you are expected to give up your entire day for about 4 hours of work, you can not get another job either because of the requirements of a screener. So the American people get what they want a smaller force which means less securityand more breaches. It is very hard to train the screening force when they only work 4 hours a day for 5 days and they may not be consecutive days either. I started with TSA in 2002, was one of the first 3,000 hired, and from the very beginning the upper management has known that the training for the screeners was/is substandard. Upper management was hired on the buddy system not on quailifications. The screeners do not have the resources to conduct proper training because they are to busy investing in the lastest no workable technology instead of investing in T10 lines for all airports to give internet access for training. Upper management wants the screener to go home and do all the online training from home and not get paid plus most of the courses are sensitive therefore unavailable at home.
Posted by: Former TSA | October 31, 2006, 8:24 am 8:24 am
Go fly Pakistani International Air, and you’ll find that motivated screeners will identify, locate, and remove ANYTHING they percieve as a threat from your luggage. In my case, it included a lighter I’d forgotten about and the batteries from my camera. And they’re not using $100,000 screening machines, whining about not having high-speed internet, or always looking for the next best job. They care about their country’s security, and they do a good job at it.
Posted by: Concerned | October 31, 2006, 9:07 am 9:07 am
FA you are absolutely right. Leave the scissors alone go for the guns. I can’t imagine anyone taking a plane with scissors..lip stick, curling irons, or tooth paste.
Posted by: Judy | October 31, 2006, 10:13 am 10:13 am
It’s not the number of screeners that’s in issue. Rather it’s how they are utilized. If common sense were applied to the process it would undoubtedly be more effective. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stood at the screening point while TSA employees pat down senior citizens. Allowing political correctness to trump good judgement will forever guarantee that the system is deficient. The recent absurd process of examining every vial of toothpaste while arguing about 3.5 oz versus 3 oz. is also infuriating to anyone who recognizes institutionalized inefficiency. I agree with the writer who said pay more attention to the reservation system and PROFILE passengers.
Posted by: Prism | October 31, 2006, 5:08 pm 5:08 pm
No surprise here. The increased screening is just window dressing!
It is an effort to show the public that something is being done – but in reality nothing has changed as far as security.
Sure, they have us in longer lines, make us buy the more expensive drinks from behind security, find new and more creative ways to harrass us, etc. The TSA needs to go away. The Feds will not support any additional effort into this program.
As I said, it is a show for the public – nothing more!
Posted by: Rick | October 31, 2006, 6:00 pm 6:00 pm
One last comment – to be as sure as you can be for security, no one flies with any luggage, no mail is transported, no carrier service by the airlines, no food, no drinks, no electronics, no clothes. You fly naked with a cavity search or you fly in a paper goen supplied by the TSA (after the cavity search).
Posted by: Rick | October 31, 2006, 6:03 pm 6:03 pm
The Republicans and the News reporters couldnt even see that Kerry was knocking the President and his staff, on how the war in Iraq is being run.Of course we shouldnt have been there in the first place.
Posted by: Bert | November 1, 2006, 11:08 am 11:08 am
Watch and see. Professional terrorist will again be successful in creating another 911. They will out smart those ill-paid and ill-trained TSA screeners.
We will clean up the the dead bodies left behind. I wounder what the President will do then?
Posted by: Darryl Ramirez | June 20, 2007, 4:11 pm 4:11 pm
My husband works for tsa. He is a very good screener. He has taught a number of people the machine including management. Now they claim he did something wrong in which he didn’t. He has to fight this with nobody at his side to stand up for him. He has never before been written up and has done his job to best he can. Now they want to screw him and let him go, because one if the inspectors from washington wants to move uo the ladder. On a written test he missed two question out of 50 and they failhim but don’t give no more training on that, they just want to kick you out the door. Instead of keeping good screeners they don’t! I feel it is on fair, so you miss 2 question you should still pass but then go into more training for what you did get. They change the way they do things so much a person could get confused. They don’t treat them well either. I am so mad at the government because they don’t see what happens and nobody tells, …………… ginny
Posted by: ginny | September 5, 2007, 12:57 pm 12:57 pm