Beyond the Checkpoint
![Transportation Security Officers in Orlando screen luggage.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081201213840im_/http://www.tsa.gov/graphics/images/orlando.jpg)
TSA looks at the entire transportation network in evaluating risk. A large part of our work involves daily interaction with the intelligence and law enforcement communities and our global partners to try to stay ahead of evolving threats and emerging vulnerabilities.
Risk-based security means taking the whole picture into account and implementing selective and unpredictable security measures -- deny the terrorists a stationary target where they can take the time to plan an attack with high odds of success. To be successful in the long run, we need to play offense, not just defense.
Playing offense means getting out past the checkpoint to identify people with hostile intent or conducting surveillance. By spreading our layers of security throughout the airport environment and elsewhere, we have multiple opportunities to detect terrorists and leverage the capabilities of our workforce, our partners, and our technology.
One of these layers involves placing specially trained Transportation Security Officers at the front of the checkpoint to review travel documents, find fraudulent identification and identify and disrupt a problem before it becomes dangerous. We are making it harder for people to use fraudulent documents and IDs by raising the standard of inspection and providing additional equipment for our security officers to do their jobs.
We also continue to expand our behavior detection program, which uses non-intrusive behavior observation and analysis techniques to identify potentially high-risk passengers throughout airports. This added element of the screening process is transparent for normal passengers but makes it troublesome to someone conducting surveillance or doing something that could be dangerous to the public. It requires no additional specialized screening equipment and TSA frequently deploys our specialized officers in support of transit, rail, and ferry systems.
Another security program beyond the checkpoint involves employee screening. We deploy Transportation Security Officers and Inspectors throughout airports to screen airport, airline and other employees, their accessible property and vehicles. This random screening at unexpected locations cannot be avoided and allows airport workers to perform their duties with minimal impact on airport operations.
We recognize that the checkpoint is an interruption in the way of boarding a flight and often can be a source of frustration for travelers. TSA is moving to an approach where we spread out and calm down the security process. This should decrease stress at checkpoints, improve security, and improve the passenger experience. We're working with our airport and airline partners to establish a more calm security environment while leveraging emerging technologies such as millimeter wave, backscatter, liquid bottle scanners and advanced x-ray systems to help security officers detect explosives and other threats.
Getting away from the tunnel vision of looking for prohibited items at the checkpoint and moving toward a calmer, more nimble process focused on finding people with clever as well as obvious weapons will be good for security - and we hope it will also be better for passengers.
Kip Hawley
Administrator
Transportation Security Administration
Labels: travel security, TSA
12 Comments:
I do have a comment about Air travel security.
I do not think it is wise to accept anyone's "Driver's License" as ID at the airport; due to states such as New York (and a couple others) granted illegal aliens driver's licenses!
The document of a "Driver's license" no longer is a true and valid identity card. Terrorists have used such licenses to get on airplanes at the airports before!
Now nobody is safe. No driver's license can be positive proof of who any individual is........now that illegal aliens and "just anyone" are issued them!
By
Anonymous, At
October 12, 2007 4:37 PM
And like the other comment.......
No "Driver's License" should now be accepted by any employer as "proof-of-citizenship" for hiring purposes; because of some states issuing them to illegal aliens. An employer cannot really be sure "who" it's dealing with or what their status might be.
All in all a very unsecure situation for everyone.
By
Anonymous, At
October 15, 2007 4:04 PM
LAST TIME I FLEW TO THE US FROM LONDON,I LOCKED MY SUITCASE BUT WHEN TRANSITING IN DETROIT TO MY FINAL DESTINATION,I FOUND MY LOCK HAD BEEN CUT OPEN BY THE AIRPORT SECURITY (TSA?). I AM ABOUT TO TRAVEL AGAIN TO THE US AND NEED TO KNOW IF TO LEAVE THE SUITCASE UNLOCKED
By
Anonymous, At
October 15, 2007 7:50 PM
To the first two comments -- ID is not security. Checking for weapons being carried by people about to get onto airplanes is security.
By
Anonymous, At
October 15, 2007 8:48 PM
Since ID is not security, why is the TSA in the Airline Revenue Protection business?
By
?, At
October 16, 2007 3:26 PM
To the first two posters valid ID is not required to fly it is only required to maybe avoid a secondary screening so unless you feel the first screening is insufficent there's no reason to fear anyone with a driver's licence from any state. If you feel the first screening is insufficent then should not everyone recieve the secondary screening? Either way the source of or even the ownership of a driver's licence is irrelivent.
I thought a driver's license was proof that someone meets the minimum standards to drive safely and was not issues as a permit to be a passanger on commerical aviation.
By
Anonymous, At
October 16, 2007 11:45 PM
To the last poster on 10/16/07.
In the case of 9/11 of Terrorists who hijacked the airplanes and forced them to crash into the towers in New York; Eighteen of the 19 terrorists who perpetrated the 9/11 attacks had valid driver’s licenses, though none was a U.S. citizen and several were here on expired visas. The 9/11 Commission concluded that, for a terrorist, travel documents are nearly as important as an actual weapon.
Drivers Lic. do matter! especially if airlines insist on allowing them as ID to board any plane.
By
Anonymous, At
October 17, 2007 3:02 PM
MANY Airports require showing of valid ID to go beyond the check-in......on your way to the terminal to meet your plane!
By
Anonymous, At
October 17, 2007 3:05 PM
A terrorist does not always have "weapons" hidden in his/her luggage. Like the 9/11 Terrorists; they used the airplane as their weapon.
That's why we should not give illegal alien drivers Lic. becuase like the Terrorists, it fooled airline personnal into letting them board even though they were illegal..........
By
Anonymous, At
October 17, 2007 3:09 PM
To the last two posters ID is NOT required domesticaly. If you show up without ID you get a barding pass with SSSS on it and get patted down but you are still allowed to fly.
In Gilmore v. Gonzales the TSA CONFIRMED the rule "requires that airline passengers either present identification or be subjected to a more extensive search".
The full text can be found here http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/ca9/newopinions.nsf/A6AE4C85241C517C88257101007B72EB/$file/0415736.pdf
I stand by my first post you either feel screening is sufficent or you don't, a driver's licence has nothing to do with anything other than permission to drive.
By
Anonymous, At
October 17, 2007 9:06 PM
For the question regarding baggage locks, below is information on TSA-approved baggage locks:
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/locks.shtm
By
TSA, At
October 18, 2007 9:42 AM
Even the new Driver's lic. on the New York's purposed 3-tier system; one being for illegal aliens will say that it is not allowed to be used for boarding airplanes!
( and the others are OK for that purpose).
So obviouly, Driver's lic. are used.
By
Anonymous, At
October 29, 2007 8:44 PM
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