Security Screening - What Works?

[Dale00]

Ran across an article on security screening and wanted to share the main points.

1. There is harsh screening of passengers and crew but lax screening of checked baggage and little or no screening of air cargo. Why?
   • Politicians are motivated to do things that voters can see so they are willing to spend money on TSA "security theater" but not on other parts of security.
     
   • TSA Bureaucrats are eager to get more funding and employees (like any bureaucrat) so they go along with what pleases congress instead of what will actually increase security.
2. What we are doing now does not work.
   • There are many cases of people accidentally getting guns and weapons past TSA screeners.
     
   • Many lapses in security checks of applicants for airport jobs. These are the very positions that should be most severely checked - low pay and low supervision so they are vulnerable and able to put weapons, bombs etc on planes.
     
   • The new passenger screening methods would not have stopped the underwear bomber.
3. The Israeli method of screening (lots of intelligence, profiling and highly skilled screeners who do mini-interrogations of each passenger) works very well but is too expensive for the U.S.

(http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htmurph/articles/20101126.aspx)

 

[prophet]

Instead of all this extra screening to make sure everyone is un-armed, why not just arm everyone as they get on the plane, whos going to hijack a plane with 200 armed angry americans?

 

[Dale00]

Instead of all this extra screening to make sure everyone is un-armed, why not just arm everyone as they get on the plane, whos going to hijack a plane with 200 armed angry americans?

That would work for preventing hijackings and world trade center type attacks. But would not stop bombers from bringing down a plane.

Also would be politically very difficult/impossible to make happen IMO.

But one of the main points the public misses is what we have now does not work

 

[BadgeBunny]

The Israelis have the correct answer to this problem.

Too bad profiling offends the delicate sensitivities of so many here in the States. Personally I would much prefer having a little talk with a well-trained TSA agent than I would being felt up by a poorly trained one ... As always though YMMV ...

 

[Nraman]

But one of the main points the public misses is what we have now does not work

One of the main points the public misses is that the "solutions" are temporary and will only have to escalate as the threat continues to escalate. The Israelis have failed to deal with terrorism, it has become part of their life.
We should not have to live with terrorism.

 

[redmax51]

Too bad profiling offends the delicate sensitivities of so many here in the States. Personally I would much prefer having a little talk with a well-trained TSA agent than I would being felt up by a poorly trained one ... As always though YMMV ...

That's a mystery to me also,but,BB,what if he was a hot agent??

 

[Shootin 4 Fun]

The Israelis have the correct answer to this problem.

Too bad profiling offends the delicate sensitivities of so many here in the States. Personally I would much prefer having a little talk with a well-trained TSA agent than I would being felt up by a poorly trained one ... As always though YMMV ...

For future reference.....I'm pretty well trained in that area.

 

[loudshirt]

Everyone here is such the expert on how poor of a job the TSA is doing. Why dont we hear some of your solutions? Allowing average citizens carry weapons on planes is not the answer. Passengers with guns would just equal terrorists with guns and gunfights at 30K feet inside a big metal tube full of 300 people with no cover is not the answer.

The problem is everyone complains "why am I treated like a criminals", however every time a "shoe/underwear bomber" makes the news the same people are out saying "why cant the government keep me safe?" or "we need better rules for air travel" It is too late to go back to "how it used to be" If you recall the 70's and 80's were packed with hijackings and bombings.

I could just see the posts now if we went with the Israel method. "Why is the government asking me where I am going? It is none of their business. " Since there are people who get offended when a Police Officer asks them where they are going during a traffic stop. Just my two cents. Back to my for the TSA threads.

 

[dennishoddy]

Ya know, several years ago the company sent me to Italy for some schooling.
This was prior to 9-11. The Italian airport at Milan had me go through 5 layers of security, including personal interviews, metal screenings, other screenings that I never knew what for, and all in all I got through it pretty quick. Nobody put a hand on me. I had to stand face to face with an agent twice and answer questions. The never broke their stare, and I'm sure they were looking for me to be uncomfortable.
Don't know what they do now, but it was pretty intense while going on.

 

[Dale00]

Ya know, several years ago the company sent me to Italy for some schooling.
This was prior to 9-11. The Italian airport at Milan had me go through 5 layers of security, including personal interviews, metal screenings, other screenings that I never knew what for, and all in all I got through it pretty quick. Nobody put a hand on me. I had to stand face to face with an agent twice and answer questions. The never broke their stare, and I'm sure they were looking for me to be uncomfortable.
Don't know what they do now, but it was pretty intense while going on.

Sounds like they knew what they were doing.

The screening they did when I flew out of Frankfurt was more professional and thorough than I've seen in the U.S.