Posted on Jun 1, 2015
Were you aware of TSA's 95% failure rate to detect concealed weapons? What needs to be done to correct this problem?
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TSA chief out is after screeners fail 95 percent of tests 3:26
The acting head of the Transportation Security Administration was reassigned Monday after an internal investigation by the Department of Homeland Security found security failures at dozens of the nation's busiest airports. The breaches allowed undercover investigators to smuggle weapons, fake explosives and other contraband through numerous checkpoints.
Melvin Carraway, an 11-year veteran of the TSA who became acting administrator in January, was immediately reassigned to a DHS program coordinating with local law enforcement agencies, DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said Monday night. Coast Guard Vice Adm. Pete Neffenger's nomination to be permanent administrator is awaiting Senate confirmation.
Upon learning the initial findings of the Office of Inspector General's report, Johnson immediately directed TSA to implement a series of other actions, several of which are now in place, agency officials said.
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TSA chief out is after screeners fail 95 percent of tests 3:26
The acting head of the Transportation Security Administration was reassigned Monday after an internal investigation by the Department of Homeland Security found security failures at dozens of the nation's busiest airports. The breaches allowed undercover investigators to smuggle weapons, fake explosives and other contraband through numerous checkpoints.
Melvin Carraway, an 11-year veteran of the TSA who became acting administrator in January, was immediately reassigned to a DHS program coordinating with local law enforcement agencies, DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said Monday night. Coast Guard Vice Adm. Pete Neffenger's nomination to be permanent administrator is awaiting Senate confirmation.
Upon learning the initial findings of the Office of Inspector General's report, Johnson immediately directed TSA to implement a series of other actions, several of which are now in place, agency officials said.
Image: Acting TSA Administrator Melvin Carraway
Acting TSA Administrator Melvin Carraway discusses an attack by a man with a machete at the New Orleans airport in March as other law enforcement officials look on.Reuters
In one case, an alarm sounded, but even during a pat-down, the screening officer failed to detect a fake plastic explosive taped to an undercover agent's back. In all, so-called "Red Teams" of Homeland Security agents posing as passengers were able get weapons past TSA agents in 67 out of 70 tests — a 95 percent failure rate, according to agency officials.
"The numbers in these reports never look good out of context, but they are a critical element in the continual evolution of our aviation security," Homeland Security officials said in a statement.
Read More: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/investigation-breaches-us-airports-allowed-weapons-through-n367851
TSA chief out is after screeners fail 95 percent of tests 3:26
The acting head of the Transportation Security Administration was reassigned Monday after an internal investigation by the Department of Homeland Security found security failures at dozens of the nation's busiest airports. The breaches allowed undercover investigators to smuggle weapons, fake explosives and other contraband through numerous checkpoints.
Melvin Carraway, an 11-year veteran of the TSA who became acting administrator in January, was immediately reassigned to a DHS program coordinating with local law enforcement agencies, DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said Monday night. Coast Guard Vice Adm. Pete Neffenger's nomination to be permanent administrator is awaiting Senate confirmation.
Upon learning the initial findings of the Office of Inspector General's report, Johnson immediately directed TSA to implement a series of other actions, several of which are now in place, agency officials said.
Facebook Twitter Google PlusEmbed
TSA chief out is after screeners fail 95 percent of tests 3:26
The acting head of the Transportation Security Administration was reassigned Monday after an internal investigation by the Department of Homeland Security found security failures at dozens of the nation's busiest airports. The breaches allowed undercover investigators to smuggle weapons, fake explosives and other contraband through numerous checkpoints.
Melvin Carraway, an 11-year veteran of the TSA who became acting administrator in January, was immediately reassigned to a DHS program coordinating with local law enforcement agencies, DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said Monday night. Coast Guard Vice Adm. Pete Neffenger's nomination to be permanent administrator is awaiting Senate confirmation.
Upon learning the initial findings of the Office of Inspector General's report, Johnson immediately directed TSA to implement a series of other actions, several of which are now in place, agency officials said.
Image: Acting TSA Administrator Melvin Carraway
Acting TSA Administrator Melvin Carraway discusses an attack by a man with a machete at the New Orleans airport in March as other law enforcement officials look on.Reuters
In one case, an alarm sounded, but even during a pat-down, the screening officer failed to detect a fake plastic explosive taped to an undercover agent's back. In all, so-called "Red Teams" of Homeland Security agents posing as passengers were able get weapons past TSA agents in 67 out of 70 tests — a 95 percent failure rate, according to agency officials.
"The numbers in these reports never look good out of context, but they are a critical element in the continual evolution of our aviation security," Homeland Security officials said in a statement.
Read More: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/investigation-breaches-us-airports-allowed-weapons-through-n367851
Security
Leadership
US Department of Homeland Security
Homeland Security
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I would like to see the break down on what the percentage would be on the Contract verses the TSA Airports. When the new system was put in place, Half the Airports TSA did it directly the other Half were contracted out with TSA Oversight. Here in Kansas City last time I checked First Response had the Contract.
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Capt Seid Waddell
"The 2001 legislation that created TSA established the SPP, which has allowed some airports to opt out of TSA screening and use private firms. The firms contract with TSA and are under federal regulatory control.
Originally, there were five airports in the program, with San Francisco being the largest. All five have had good results with private screening and have stuck with it. The number of SPP airports has grown to 16 today.
Other airports are now submitting applications to TSA for SPP status."
http://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/pa742_web_1.pdf
Originally, there were five airports in the program, with San Francisco being the largest. All five have had good results with private screening and have stuck with it. The number of SPP airports has grown to 16 today.
Other airports are now submitting applications to TSA for SPP status."
http://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/pa742_web_1.pdf
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I don't understand why this got publicized. I'm all about transparency. And this is obviously news worthy.
But why publish our weaknesses and vulnerabilities. It's a classified report. Keep it with Congress, law enforcement, administrators so they can fix it.
Why tell our enemies our weakness. Yes, we feel the public has a right to know everything that could ever affect them.
But clean up the mess and don't tell the enemy where your weak- just get stronger without politicizing a confidential report publicly.
But why publish our weaknesses and vulnerabilities. It's a classified report. Keep it with Congress, law enforcement, administrators so they can fix it.
Why tell our enemies our weakness. Yes, we feel the public has a right to know everything that could ever affect them.
But clean up the mess and don't tell the enemy where your weak- just get stronger without politicizing a confidential report publicly.
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Capt Seid Waddell
SSG Aaron Smith, probably for the same reason that it was publicized that we were tracking bin Laden by means of his satellite phone or tracking terrorist finances through the CHIPS payment system.
Some loose lips appear to want to sink our ships.
OTOH, the terrorists appear to be testing our systems constantly and probably know more about our weaknesses than our own administrators seem to know due to the apparent incompetence factor.
See: Are Terrorists Conducting ‘Dry Runs?’ Some Believe They Are
http://www.hstoday.us/columns/the-kimery-report/blog/are-terrorists-conducting-dry-runs-some-believe-they-are/1b5472f453a5ae22d0b14f026e34629c.html
"The group’s bulletin stated there were ‘several cases recently throughout the industry of what appear to be probes, or dry-runs, to test our procedures and reaction to an in-flight threat’ by possible terrorists.
According to the Airline Pilots Security Association (APSA), 95 percent of flights are ‘at risk’ because only 2 percent of flights are protected by members of the Federal Air Marshals Service (FAMS)."
Some loose lips appear to want to sink our ships.
OTOH, the terrorists appear to be testing our systems constantly and probably know more about our weaknesses than our own administrators seem to know due to the apparent incompetence factor.
See: Are Terrorists Conducting ‘Dry Runs?’ Some Believe They Are
http://www.hstoday.us/columns/the-kimery-report/blog/are-terrorists-conducting-dry-runs-some-believe-they-are/1b5472f453a5ae22d0b14f026e34629c.html
"The group’s bulletin stated there were ‘several cases recently throughout the industry of what appear to be probes, or dry-runs, to test our procedures and reaction to an in-flight threat’ by possible terrorists.
According to the Airline Pilots Security Association (APSA), 95 percent of flights are ‘at risk’ because only 2 percent of flights are protected by members of the Federal Air Marshals Service (FAMS)."
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Thanks to groups like the ACLU, SPLC, and CAIR there are regulations in place that prevent any actions that could remotely be considered "profiling". Doesn't matter that the vast majority of hijackers (internationally) in the last 35+ years are of a certain ethnic decent and/or affiliated with a specific religious belief. I'm not saying that everyone of middle eastern/east African decent needs to go through additional screening, but regulations that allow for only a certain number to be screened just seems ludicrous.
Of course this is also the agency that granted a clearance for expedited security screening to a convicted domestic terrorist in March of this year.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-former-terrorists-cleared-for-expedited-tsa-checkpoint-20150327-story.html
Of course this is also the agency that granted a clearance for expedited security screening to a convicted domestic terrorist in March of this year.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-former-terrorists-cleared-for-expedited-tsa-checkpoint-20150327-story.html
Former terrorist was cleared for expedited TSA checkpoint
The news that the Transportation Security Administration has enrolled more than 1 million people in a program that lets low-risk travelers zip through expedited security checkpoints was tarnished by a report that former terrorist Sara Jane Olson was cleared to use the low-risk screening lane.
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Capt Seid Waddell
The Israelis have an effective process; for them it is a necessary operation to combat a constant immediate threat.
"Israel has long held the reputation as home to the world's most stringent airport security procedures. But most passengers aren't frisked, there are no intimately revealing body-imaging scanners, and security experts dismiss as misguided the new, more intrusive American approach that requires pat-downs or highly detailed scans of every passenger.
‘The security here is far more professional,’ said Sandy Kornhauser, who arrived with her daughter at Ben Gurion from Philadelphia on Wednesday to attend a wedding.
‘I think they know who they are looking for,’ she added. ‘In the States, they don't know.’
Israeli airport security authorities don't disclose the methods by which they single out passengers for extra scrutiny. They say only that they have a list of suspicious signs that they look for.
However uncomfortable the procedures are for some, Israeli security experts insist that Israel's methods are better at preventing terrorist attacks than the U.S. Transportation Security Administration's reliance on technology or pat-downs. Israeli experts say that even advanced scanners can fail to detect explosives.
Profiling may be too politically controversial and time-consuming to implement at much busier American airports. Still, Israeli experts say they believe it is inevitable that the United States will move in their direction, rather than continuing to evaluate millions of passengers as if they are potential threats.
‘The profile system gives you the right, logical way to know who to check,’ Shif said."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/26/AR [login to see] 840.html
"Israel has long held the reputation as home to the world's most stringent airport security procedures. But most passengers aren't frisked, there are no intimately revealing body-imaging scanners, and security experts dismiss as misguided the new, more intrusive American approach that requires pat-downs or highly detailed scans of every passenger.
‘The security here is far more professional,’ said Sandy Kornhauser, who arrived with her daughter at Ben Gurion from Philadelphia on Wednesday to attend a wedding.
‘I think they know who they are looking for,’ she added. ‘In the States, they don't know.’
Israeli airport security authorities don't disclose the methods by which they single out passengers for extra scrutiny. They say only that they have a list of suspicious signs that they look for.
However uncomfortable the procedures are for some, Israeli security experts insist that Israel's methods are better at preventing terrorist attacks than the U.S. Transportation Security Administration's reliance on technology or pat-downs. Israeli experts say that even advanced scanners can fail to detect explosives.
Profiling may be too politically controversial and time-consuming to implement at much busier American airports. Still, Israeli experts say they believe it is inevitable that the United States will move in their direction, rather than continuing to evaluate millions of passengers as if they are potential threats.
‘The profile system gives you the right, logical way to know who to check,’ Shif said."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/26/AR [login to see] 840.html
Israeli air security is easy on most, intrusive for a few
JERUSALEM - Israel has long held the reputation as home to the world's most stringent airport security procedures. But most passengers aren't frisked, there are no intimately revealing body-imaging scanners, and security experts dismiss as misguided the new, more intrusive American approach that...
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PO1 Dustin Adams
Yeah, the Israelis profile based on a statistical threat assessment, something we won't do, due to political inconvenience and threatened legal action (thank you ACLU, SPLC, and CAIR).
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But by gawd they found my bottle of mountain dew I forgot I threw in my bag at the hotel that I forgot about, and then I got the "thorough" pat-down and my bag searched. Never mind I was TDY and checked in at the gate with my mil ID... Thank god for them preventing me entering the terminal with a warm bottle of Dew.....
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Unless we start strip searching every passenger, there is not way to get a 100% result.
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Capt Seid Waddell
SrA Eddie V, true, but expecting competence and holding the inspectors responsible for their actions would raise the results to more acceptable levels.
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SrA Edward Vong
Capt Seid Waddell
I do agree on taking responsibility however, one can only take responsibility for not following standard procedure, if it's something out of the norm, meaning something that gets through because of a unique encounter, can't really blame the workers.
I do agree on taking responsibility however, one can only take responsibility for not following standard procedure, if it's something out of the norm, meaning something that gets through because of a unique encounter, can't really blame the workers.
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SPC (Join to see)
95%. You can't even blame the foot-soldiers for a fail-rate like that. This is a TSA administration issue.
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Capt Seid Waddell , you beat me to the punch on this one, Seid. You should edit this and add a survey question, which is what I had in mind.
Question: Do you think the TSA can continue to be relied upon to secure our nation's airports?
Yes, they are still an essential line of defense in safeguarding our national airline industry; since the inception of the TSA, there has not been a major incident with a U.S. airliner.
No, TSA should be eliminated and airports should be permitted to contract their security screening from private entities with FAA oversight.
Other, please explain.
Just a thought! TSA is a laughing stock, that's for sure!
Question: Do you think the TSA can continue to be relied upon to secure our nation's airports?
Yes, they are still an essential line of defense in safeguarding our national airline industry; since the inception of the TSA, there has not been a major incident with a U.S. airliner.
No, TSA should be eliminated and airports should be permitted to contract their security screening from private entities with FAA oversight.
Other, please explain.
Just a thought! TSA is a laughing stock, that's for sure!
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MAJ Anne McGee
No, and I have not heard of a single plot that the TSA has foiled. The fact that there has not been an incident is attributed to other more professional services, FBI, Secret Service, etc... tracking persons of interest or following tips that lead to foiling plots. The TSA is a joke, imo!
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Capt Seid Waddell
The purpose of this blog is to communicate with the public about all things TSA related. Check in regularly for "TSA Travel Tips" and our end of week "TSA Week in Review" posts on Fridays.
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MAJ Anne McGee
Have you flown lately? They must be able to tell that I have a certain disdain for them because I get pulled out "randomly' more than is "randomly" possible. I'm sure it's because they know they won't find anything on me - I fly a lot so I know they have me in their database as a frequent traveler.
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SSgt (Join to see)
MAJ Anne McGee maybe they think you are cute and want some private time. Just a guess, but wouldn't be surprised if I am right. I seldom see them pull men for the random searches, almost always females.
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Capt Seid Waddell
SSgt Christopher Tindell, I have been selected for random searches a couple of times, and there is nothing remotely cute about me - no matter which way they swing.
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