Several people walked into Albany International Airport in Colonie, N.Y., in late June, carry-on bags stuffed full of bomb parts, and strolled to the security checkpoint.
Transportation Security Administration screeners seized every bottle of water from all of them.
Fortunately, it was only a test.
In the surprise inspection, conducted in June, screeners failed five out of the seven tests by missing the fake bomb parts and other prohibited items which federal inspectors attempt to smuggle past TSA screeners.
But they did manage to find all the bottled water.
Paul Varville, the TSA’s security director at Albany International, could not be reached for comment.
Ann Davis, a TSA spokeswoman, declined to discuss the circumstances of the covert test at Albany International.
“We don’t discuss the results because they tend to paint an inaccurate picture of the competency of our work force,” she said. “The tests are designed to be incredibly difficult and TSA does anticipate a fair level of failure.” — Albany Times-Union
The TSA has said that employees who fail these tests are immediately retrained. But Dave Erickson, a former TSA screening manager at Albany International Airport and retired U.S. Army major, says that poor training is precisely the problem.
“I feel bad for the employees because a lot of them are good honest people. But if you’re not trained properly, what can you do?” Erickson wondered.
He claims the problems are training and employee turnover.
Erickson was fired in 2004 after only six months on the job. However, just three months earlier he was given glowing remarks describing him as “accurate” and “effective.” It also said he had “significantly improved the security of airline travel.”
“I started to question what type of training program we had and when I spoke out about it, that’s when I had troubles,” Erickson said. — WNYT-TV
Erickson is suing the Department of Homeland Security for being wrongfully terminated from his job.
In Red Team testing at Denver earlier this year, screeners missed 90% of fake guns and explosives smuggled through checkpoints. And tests at Newark Liberty International Airport last year found pretty much the same thing. As did a classified Government Accountability Office investigation of 21 airports a year ago.
I admit I’m afraid to fly, but it’s not because of the airplanes, it’s because of the “security.” Nationalizing airport security hasn’t improved a thing, and has only made matters worse.
(Thanks to Screeners Central, the largest unofficial web site for TSA screeners, for this story.)
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Continually increasing the debt is one of the logical outcomes of Keynesianism, since more government spending is always their answer. It is claimed that government must not stop spending when the economy is so fragile. Government must act. Yet, when times are good, government also increases in size and scope, because we can afford it, it is claimed. There is never a good time to rein in government spending according to Keynesian economists and the proponents of big government.
Jersey Shore? Fuhgeddaboudit. Jersey City is the gem of reality TV. Shore is MTV. Jersey City is FBI. Like, how real is that? Killer videos of pols talking trash and passing cash have been unspooling in federal court in Newark at the trial of Jersey City Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini. Beldini was busted last summer in an FBI sweep that corralled dozens of Jersey pols. It was one of the largest corruption roundups in Jersey's thick history of roundups.
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Fixer
Jul 19, 2007
These types of failures were commonplace when I worked for TSA. The ability to accurately interpret X-ray images is an innate skill to some degree; in the early days, there were screeners who lacked that skill, and no amount of training could help them. Testing and re-certification weeded out many of those. The screeners that are still there suffer from poor training materials and lack of training time.
In addition, the X-ray equipment in use today has its limitations, and the Red Team would likely take advantage of those limitations in its testing.
The net result? I drive more than I used to.
Lasse Havelund
Jul 19, 2007
I can’t help but notice that. They anticipate a fair level of failure? When people manage to smuggle bombs onto planes, I think it’s beyond fair.
Joe
Jul 19, 2007
It’s not the training or the people, it’s the technology. you can only be as good as the technology. It’s better than it use to be, not perfect but better
The Notorious M.I.K.
Jul 19, 2007
“TSA does anticipate a fair level of failure.”
At least their being slightly honest.
Fixer
Jul 20, 2007
Gotta disagree somewhat, Joe (Post #3). I spent more than four years with TSA. Compared to other training programs in which I have participated (military technical, law enforcement, IT), TSA’s methodologies are respectable. However, the training topics are incredibly repetitive and the time available on any given day for the TSO’s to participate ranges from little to none. Did I mention that timely completion of the training topics is necessary to get a pay raise, regardless of whether you get time during your shift to complete them? No pressure.
The folks in uniform (TSO’s) are, for the most part, a diligent and hard-working group. The people responsible for a lot of the problems occupy the management level. I have many direct experiences that involve management level incompetence, ignorance or just plain meanness. The TSO performance might be better if they had consistent support of management.
Finally, I agree that some aspects of the technology are better; introduction of baggage screening EDS machines has helped tremendously. However, the x-ray machines in use at most checkpoints are not significantly different than those from ten years ago. Other equipment is not being used to its fullest capability. TSA also has a tendency to rely too heavily on technology to accomplish the mission. Remember the Maginot Line? It was the technilogical marvel of its day, but was rendered useless when the Germans simply went around it.
Anonymous
Jul 23, 2007
I keep telling people TSA screeners are security guards. un armed. uneducated unmotivated, untrained security guards
A guy I know who is supposedly a FAM tells me they don’t need any of that stuff, that they already have enough police at the airports. yet look at this, a damn shame.
Fixer
Jul 23, 2007
Anonymous, it would seem that you aren’t one to let the facts get in the way of a good story. Neither is the “guy you know.”
Toby
Jul 26, 2007
It all screams security theater. It sure looks like the TSA agents are busy doing their jobs protecting the American people, but in reality it is all just for show.
jwilliams
Jul 26, 2007
I agree with Anonymous here. Just another waste of tax payer money. A false sense of security for the public. I refuse to fly because of the last time I went. It happened when they banned the bottles of water here recently. I was attempting to get on the plane and Billy Bad Ass TSA guy kept eye balling me. Grabbed me out of line and took my small bottle of H2O which I guess put together with some Pop-Rock candies from back in the day could do some damage to the back of the seat or something. The whole thing is a joke.
Anonymous
Aug 17, 2007
I always feel the need to refuse to take off my shoes and get the extra thorough search. I guess if they’re gonna add the extra cost to my ticket, I should get my money’s worth. While being searched ask questions like “when you were a kid, did you dream about being a shoe searcher” or “How long have you been doing this? Uhuh and how many terrorists have you caught? Unhuh.” and my favorite “The sign says you can arrest me for joking about having a bomb? Do you have a copy of the law that makes it illegal to joke?”
ps You might not want to try this. I have much experience knowing how far I push the piglets, I mean facists, I mean statists… you know the real terrorist.
John Galt
Aug 17, 2007
t shoudl really concern you is after the publisihing of this article, the Screeners Central, the largest unofficial web site for TSA screeners, was taken down by homeland security. Don’t believe me, go check the link. WHAT ARE THEY TRYING TO HIDE????
A vote for Ron Paul is a vote for Freedom and a vote against Tyranny.
Michael Hampton
Aug 17, 2007
Very funny. Ha ha.
Softail
Oct 17, 2007
What do you expect when you drag in the dreggs of the world into the TSA and give them $7/hour.
You want GOOD security….pay for it. Don’t staff the TSA with Welfare Rats that barely have a GED.
I believe a lot of the fine folk on this blogg would make excellent TSA inspectors. Can’t wait to hear them all sound off and sign up.
Gulie
Oct 31, 2007
I dont know why You people sound so cinical and so negative about TSA screeners. It is a very hard job. They are moving bags up to 70 pounds all day non stop, serving crowds of people and doing everything to prevent another nightmares from terrorists. For a whole Year out of million flights there was not one tragic accident with air transport! I dont know what kind of jobs You people do but You sound very rude and disrespectful toward homeland employees. Just because they make small salary -it doesnot give You right to disrespect them. Their work days are full of stress and negativeness already. They deserve many good and kind words and word of respect and Thank You from all people who travelled and landed safely!!!
There are many People who apreciate Your Hard work and very Thankfull for everything You are doing for all of us!
Freedom Lover
Nov 07, 2007
Gulie, how naive can you be. It has been proven that no one will ever take over a plane again, not because of the TSA which is a waste of money but because of the people of this country. Every person that has tried anything on a plane has been kick to the ground, ask the boxer that tried to open the planes door mid-flight. The TSA is no different then a security guard at a college football game, they are there for show, if anyone wants to get something past them they will, most will probably be seen to have worked for the airline or even the TSA.
Feb 18, 2008
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