TSA finally moving towards smarter sceening

There are signs the frequently-criticized Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is turning towards a user-friendlier approach that could include a more “intelligence” system that focuses on real possible threats.
 

The TSA is actually soliciting comments about cutting down on controversial pat-downs and full-body scanners, said wire reports. But observers critical of the TSA say the present system is broke and needs to be fixed.
 

That comes in the wake of comprehensive plan recommending strong reforms to current security procedures. These include implementing a trusted traveler program and a ban on fees for the first checked bag of luggage, which has a security impact.
 

The recommendations, the culmination of a year-long analysis of aviation security screening, were issued in a report titled A Better Way: Building a World Class System for Aviation Security.

The so-called Blue Ribbon Panel was headed up by Tom Ridge, former Homeland Security director, who was among tourism and government officials that made up the group.
 

The US Travel Association, which certainly has a strong stake in safety, says the reforms could be done without jeopardizing safe travel. But attitudes do have to change because officials say any new security program, no matter what the cost, cannot guarantee complete safety.
 

The Association reportedly hopes to use the findings to lobby Congress to reform the current system.
 

According to a statement from the organization, the need for reform was made clear by data from Consensus Research revealing that travelers are avoiding two to three trips per year due to unnecessary hassles associated with the security screening process.
 

These avoided trips come at a cost of US$85 billion, said the group.
 

“Each day in the United States roughly two million air travelers are advised to arrive upwards of two hours before a flight in order to be processed through a one-size-fits-all security screening system,” said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the US Travel Association.
 

TSA Administrator John Pistole told a congressional committee last month that he was considering the idea of a trusted traveler program for domestic and international passengers who would in turn go through more intensive background checks ahead of time. That would allow screeners to focus on higher-risk travelers.
 

There are other signs the TSA may be refocusing its efforts.
 

Rep. John Mica, a frequent TSA critic, said he believes Congress is becoming more open to risk-based screening rather than screening every passenger the same way. "I think that’s right around the corner," he said.
 

“TSA reforms are urgently needed,” was the headline for a column by Beth Kassab in The Orlando Sentinel. She said the US Travel Association did that with a report that “outlined some big fixes for a broken system.”
 

She recommended the TSA stop treating every passenger as a potential terrorist. She endorsed the trusted traveler idea.
 

A previous, privately-funded trusted traveler program failed because even after passengers achieved that status, the TSA refused to end screenings. The current proposal calls for a new trusted traveler program to be run by the government and for passengers to voluntarily provide personal information, undergo a background check and an interview.

She also favored the rule on ending the charge for checked baggage which essentially encourages passengers to carry more bags through the checkpoint, which also slows the process.
 

But she also agreed with the Blue Ribbon panel conclusion that any reforms will not work unless the US Congress adopts a new attitude.
 

"Some in Congress appear to have calculated that there are no political consequences to an inefficient and costly system, but great political consequences to a successful terrorist attack," said the Blue Ribbon report.
 

One of those political changes would require the office of Chief of the TSA be made into a five-year position hired by security experts rather than a presidential appointment.
 

The bottom line from a security standpoint: The TSA’s present system can’t be about patting down nearly every person who comes through the line. Instead, the focus needs to be on the real risks.
 

By David Wilkening
 

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