Challenges New TSA Administrator Faces On Day One
Newly-sworn TSA administrator Peter Neffenger faces big challenges in new role.
— -- The Senate voted 81 to 1 on Monday to make Peter Neffenger new director of the beleaguered Transportation Safety Administration.
But Neffenger likely won't have much time to ease into the new gig. Here are the top issues he faces on Day One, in case you (or he!) had forgotten:
Agents not able to detect bombs
TSA agents failed 67 out of 70 tests -- that’s 95 percent of them -- during a recent undercover Homeland Security Inspector General test.
In one case, agents failed to detect a fake explosive taped to an agent’s back, even after the agent set off the magnetometer alarm and was patted down, according to officials briefed on the report. Following the fiasco, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson directed TSA leadership “to immediately revise its standard operating procedures for screening to address the specific vulnerabilities identified by the Inspector General’s testing." Starting today, that falls to Neffenger.
Agents with terrorism ties not getting flagged
Was the employee checking your bag or ringing up your pre-flight snack on a terrorist watch list?
A recent DHS Inspector General report found that the TSA, which processes every application or airport security clearance, lacks access to terrorist watchlist data that would have caught 73 airport workers. The TSA agreed to implement the IG’s recommendations, including requesting and reviewing additional watchlist data – a task that will be carried out on Neffenger’s watch.
Guns, explosives and more
This isn’t a new or damage control-related issue for Neffenger, it’s just what the TSA deals with every day.
A visit to their blog or Instagram account shows a steady stream of what they say are contraband they catch people trying to carry while flying around the country. The most recent “Week in Review” post had images of inert grenades, stun guns, swords disguised as canes and throwing stars. The agency listed 53 total firearms discovered in carry-on bags, 48 of which they said were loaded. Travelers can carry firearms, but only in checked baggage and only after declaring them to the airline.