Reassess air security measures
Passengers at Islip's MacArthur Airport place their belongings into bins as they prepare to go through the TSA's security screening area. (Jan. 7, 2010) Credit: Newsday/John Paraskevas
A decade after 9/11, the most visible sign of the war on terrorists for most Americans occurs at the nation's airports. Long lines snaking to security checkpoints where travelers are made to strip off belts, jackets and shoes and submit to pat-downs or immodest full-body scans have become a fact of life.
The need for heightened security is obvious. Commercial aircraft were the weapons of choice on 9/11, and since then there have been numerous unsuccessful attempts to blow planes out of the sky. But when a 95-year-old woman can't fly without submitting to having her adult diaper inspected, but a man without a valid boarding pass can fly across country, another can stow away in the wheel well of a jet, and a stun gun somehow turns up on board a plane, it's time to take a hard look at what we're doing.
The question is can we make air travel security more effective but also less intrusive?
There have been more than 25,000 documented security breaches at U.S. airports since 2001, according to the Department of Homeland Security. That's a relatively small number compared with the 5.5 billion passengers who have flown out of those 450 commercial airports in the last 10 years. But it's worrisome enough that Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), chairman of the House subcommittee on National Security, Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations, concluded that the airports are not very secure.
The measures passengers endure at the airport are just a fraction of those put in place since 9/11. Others such as intelligence gathering, watch lists, air marshals on planes, canine patrols, and more tightly controlled airport access all add layers of security. But there are gaps.
The Transportation Security Administration has implemented a variety of programs to strengthen airport perimeters and control access to sensitive areas of airports. But perimeter security is primarily left to local officials who operate without models or standards. Federal officials should provide more guidance.
Airport workers are screened more rigorously since 9/11, both before they're hired and while on the job. But more than 14,000 of the security breaches involved people entering restricted areas without permission, or unauthorized people going from buildings to planes. The TSA should conduct a comprehensive risk assessment and finally complete a national strategy for airport security, something it has not yet done, according to the Government Accountability Office.
The TSA relies heavily on screening all passengers and their belongings. But it also employs a behavior detection program called SPOT -- Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques -- that has proved more effective than random screening in identifying illegal immigrants, people with fraudulent documents and those with outstanding warrants. That's promising. Officials should assess whether those techniques could allow routine passenger screening to be streamlined.
Air travel will never be the relatively carefree experience it once was. But the objective should be tighter security with a lighter touch. hN
