TSA Pre✓™ – The Next Step In Our Risk-Based Approach To Further Enhance Airport Security

Starting today at select checkpoints in four airports, TSA will begin testing “TSA Pre✓™,” another key component in our move toward a more risk-based, intelligence-driven approach to security. This limited pilot will help TSA evaluate measures designed to enhance security by placing more focus on pre-screening individuals prior to flying in order to expedite their travel experience.

TSA Pre✓™ allows us to use volunteered information to make risk assessments before the passenger gets to the airport, and enables our officers to focus more attention on those passengers we know the least about. During this pilot, certain frequent fliers from Delta Air Lines and American Airlines, as well as certain members of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Trusted Traveler programs, including Global Entry, SENTRI, and NEXUS who are also flying on Delta or American are eligible. Currently, this is only open to American citizens. 

For now, when eligible travelers opt in, TSA Pre✓™ could qualify them for expedited checkpoint screening at select checkpoints at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County, Dallas Fort Worth International, and Miami International airports. As with any initiative, TSA is testing this pre-screening concept with a small passenger population at a few airports. Only those passengers who opt in will have the opportunity to participate at this time. If the pilot proves successful, we will explore expanding the program to additional travelers, airports and airlines so that more people can benefit.

For those who will participate in the initial pilot, it is important to note that nothing will ever guarantee that an eligible passenger receives expedited security screening. We have built random and unpredictable factors throughout the aviation security system to guard against terrorists gaming the system and this program is no exception. 

We are able to test this concept now partly due to the success of our Secure Flight initiative, which brought watch list matching responsibilities into TSA. TSA Pre✓™ will join other elements of risk-based security currently under way including:

• Testing expedited screening for known airline crewmembers
• Testing the expanded use of behavior detection techniques
• Nationwide changes to our physical security screening process for kids 12-and-under

All of these initiatives are designed to improve our security approach while enhancing the passenger’s security experience. We thank U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the airlines, and passengers for their partnership as we work to provide the most effective transportation security in the most efficient way.  

If you’re an eligible Global Entry member or frequent flier, we look forward to your feedback after you fly through one of the four participating airports.  

For more information on our move toward implementing a more risk-based, intelligence-driven transportation security model, you can read the following blog posts:

3/18/2011 Who Are You? TSA Exploring Identity Based Screening and Known Travelers

7/15/2011Passenger Screening Pilot

9/14/2011 Risk Based Security For Passengers 12 and Under

John. S. Pistole 

TSA Administrator 

If you’d like to comment on an unrelated topic you can do so in our Off Topic Comments post. You can also view our blog post archives or search our blog to find a related topic to comment in. If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact a Customer Support Manager at the airport you traveled, or will be traveling through by using Talk to TSA.

Cancer Patient Screening At JFK: Treating Passengers with Dignity and Respect

We do our best to treat passengers with the dignity and respect they deserve, but in Lori Dorn’s case, it looks like we missed our mark. We sincerely regret and apologize for the experience Mrs. Dorn had at JFK. The Federal Security Director for JFK has personally reached out to learn more about what happened so he can help ensure that she and others will have better travel experiences in the future. While security is our primary mission, he apologized to Mrs. Dorn for not delivering the customer respect he wants all passengers flying through JFK to experience and offered to meet her the next time she flies through this airport.

 

I want to take this opportunity to clarify a few things about the screening process.

Medical cards, whether from a physician or TSA, do not exempt you from screening. They're a great way for passengers to discreetly let us know about a medical situation or disability they have. This is very helpful for the passenger and our officers because it lets us know how to better screen the passenger. Passengers may present these cards at the checkpoint to our officers. In this case, our officers should have allowed the passenger to present her card and been more empathetic to her situation while completing the screening process. Passengers who would like to create their own card can go here.

Private screening can be requested by any passenger for any reason and in situations such as this one, our officers should offer it.

If advanced imaging technology detects an anomaly that cannot be cleared, secondary screening is required to ensure the passenger does not have threat items, such as explosives concealed under clothing. We sincerely regret any instance such as this one when a passenger does not have a positive experience.

TSA has just rolled out an in-service technical training course focused on screening prosthetics. This curriculum focuses on all types of prosthetics and the requirements of the standard operating procedures related to the screening of Persons with Disabilities and Medical Conditions. It is a four part curriculum with one of the modules focusing on different scenarios and the decision making (critical thinking) process and the outcomes of the decision made by the officer. The training should be complete nationwide in a little over a year.

 

TSA works with numerous groups including breast cancer organizations to continuously refine and enhance our procedures to improve the passenger experience while also ensuring the safety of the traveling public.

Blogger Bob
TSA Blog Team 

If you’d like to comment on an unrelated topic you can do so in our Off Topic Comments post. You can also view our blog post archives or search our blog to find a related topic to comment in. If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact a Customer Support Manager at the airport you traveled, or will be traveling through by using Talk to TSA.

Sometimes The Airport Is Similar To A Gun And Knife Show

I wanted to share a few of the things our officers have found over the last week. Sometimes after reading the incident reports, it‘s as though they’re having a gun and knife convention at the airport.  

Just this past week in three separate incidents, our officers found the following prohibited items: (These are just a few of the many good catches from the past week) 

Orlando (MCO): A man attempted to bring a bag containing 3 pistols through the checkpoint. The bag contained a .25-caliber and .40-caliber semiautomatic and a .357-caliber revolver. Also in the bag were loose ammo and a loaded magazine. Orlando police arrested the passenger who was later released from the Orange County Jail on a $2,500.00 bond. 

Baltimore (BWI): Three throwing knives were found in a carry-on bag. There have been many “pointed” discussions about whether or not knives should be allowed on planes, but 3 throwing knives is a tad much… Police cited the passenger on a state charge. 

Atlanta (ATL): Inert grenades found in checked baggage. (Read here, and here about all the inert grenades we find and why they’re a nuisance) 

Maybe it’s just me, but when I travel I am cautious about what I pack or what is in my luggage.  That’s apparently not the case for a lot of people out there. The number one reason is “I forgot that was in my bag.”

All of the items I mentioned above are common finds. Just over the weekend alone, we found 10 firearms across the nation.

This year alone, TSA Officers have found over 800 firearms in carry-on bags. 

Blogger Bob

TSA Blog Team 

If you’d like to comment on an unrelated topic you can do so in our Off Topic Comments post. You can also view our blog post archives or search our blog to find a related topic to comment in. If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact a Customer Support Manager at the airport you traveled, or will be traveling through by using Talk to TSA.

LAX TSA Officers Go Fishing?

(Image Not of Passenger’s Luggage) laszlo-photo

Our baggage officers at LAX must have been using the Fishin’ Magician yesterday.  They observed a fishy image after an explosives detection system  alarmed. After going into the luggage, they found live fish swimming around in a bag. You might say they were “packed like sardines.” 

Here is the kicker: The passenger didn’t have a little baggie with a goldfish in it, they had 4 large hard-sided suitcases each filled with only fish and water. In all, there were nearly 240 fish of all types and sizes.

The passenger bought the fish at a local pet store and was taking them home. The airline would not allow him to transport the fish via checked luggage, but they did allow him to ship them properly via cargo. One might say the passenger was “schooled”  on how to properly fly with fish. I’m guessing things went swimmingly for the fish from that point forward?  If you’re traveling with any type of live critter, (other than your kids) be sure to contact your airline to see what their policies are. 

Blogger Bob

TSA Blog Team 

If you’d like to comment on an unrelated topic you can do so in our Off Topic Comments post. You can also view our blog post archives or search our blog to find a related topic to comment in. If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact a Customer Support Manager at the airport you traveled, or will be traveling through by using Talk to TSA.

Risk Based Security For Passengers 12 and Under

We’ve been talking about risk based security a lot lately and it’s also been all over the news. Well, here’s more news! We’re going to start rolling out revised screening procedures for children 12 and under. The changes give Officers more options to resolve any alarms that may occur during the screening process for these passengers. It is simpler to screen children and they will be able to keep their shoes on as well.

These changes will allow our officers to stay focused on passengers who are more likely to pose a risk to transportation.

Let’s be clear. This will not eliminate the need for all pat-downs on children, and there will still be times that shoes might have to come off. 

In case you were wondering, this screening will take place with the parents present as we never separate children from their parents. Also, our officers will use their best discretion based on how old the child appears. They’ll be courteous though, and keep their guesstimates about the parent’s age to themselves.

The new procedures will begin in some airports this week with full implementation expected by the end of the month. You may have already seen these new procedures in action. We piloted the program this summer at Boston Logan International, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Miami International, Orlando International, Houston (IAH) and Denver International. 

Please understand that this isn’t a free pass. TSA will always incorporate random and unpredictable security measures and nobody is guaranteed  expedited screening. 

Blogger Bob

TSA Blog Team 

 If you’d like to comment on an unrelated topic you can do so in our Off Topic Comments post. You can also view our blog post archives or search our blog to find a related topic to comment in. If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact a Customer Support Manager at the airport you traveled, or will be traveling through by using Talk to TSA.