What kind of background checks are performed on TSA employees?

The new patdown procedures have got me thinking about what kind of background checks a TSA employee goes through before being authorized to grope the general public.

Is their credit record checked?
Is their criminal record checked?
Has the FBI investigated their behavior and talked to their neighbors and coworkers?
Do they have to take a crazy test (like the MMPI)?
Do they undergo some kind of pyschological evaluation?

I ask this because I'd like to know what kind of person is performing US government sanctioned groping.

BTW, I have undergone these experiences/tests (and passed) because I have worked/ do work in nuclear and chemical facilities with some very nasty stuff.

So I'm thinking I am more trustworthy than the TSA yahoos and have passed the tests to prove it. Yet I am the one who gets to be groped, if I am selected.

do you eat pizza?
do you buy petrol (gas)?

Criminal Background, Credit, FBI, Fingerprinting, the background investigation form alone is about 40 pages that has to be completed by the perspective employee.

And with that being said you are going to have goofballs (for lack of a better word) working anywhere despite background investigations. Look at the school system, police, firefighters, doctors, lawyers, amongst many more. All have had bad apples working there despite whatever checks they do on their employees.

TSA has hired known felons.

That should tell you everything you need to know about TSA background checks.

Many of us began to call for psychological evaluations of all screeners as soon as the large-scale deployment of WBI was announced (together with the opt out pat downs).

With past history of more than a few screeners being arrested on sexual abuse/assault or other perversion charges, it is incumbent that the TSA initiate such evaluations.

But they won't until a screener who is allowed to fondle passengers and view images is arrested on other perversion charges. Even then TSA will say it was only a one-off event.

So credit, local and national agency check, and whatever the prospective employee feels like disclosing? Do they pull local police records for previous residences? Civil records? ChexSystems? Medical records? Do they interview references and neighbors? Previous employers? A forty page form is worthless if the data is not actually verified. That's how a lot of the "bad apples" you mentioned got through. Someone drinks too much or touches a kid, they're fired without criminal charges, then they move and start the cycle over.

Lets see now, I have read that over 200 TSO’s have been arrested on the job for various reasons, like theft from luggage in the last 2 years, that speaks a lot for the quality of the TSA background checks.

Mr. Elliott

I can't speak for the TSA checks, but in order to have an airport badge (Which TSA employees must have to navigate the airport) you have to undergo an FBI background check (10 yr) with finger prints.

Then annually, they run your DL and do a search for wants/warrants, etc. This is done by the local APD, so if someone did get passed TSA's screening (the irony, i know), APD *should* catch it.

Are you talking about that form 28 thing? I can't imagine that most TSOs filled out 40 pages of paperwork to get hired. Are you talking about the thing for Secret Clearance?

What you're describing sounds like the form for an SSBI and that isn't done on all TSOs.

Hasn't that happened already? I thought I saw a thread to that effect.

It does sound like the SF-86 (or the current online version). The TSA wouldn't want to pay for either Secret or TS clearances for screeners that have heavy turnover.

This report tells more.

So a Nexus card holder is just as thoroughly checked as someone holding an airport badge, but can't get into the secure zone without a scan or a grope. Trusted to get into the country, but not on a plane. Too bad that logic only applies to PAX.

I wonder what the turn over rate is for TSO’s, I am sure the TSA won’t say what it is, because they will say it’s SSI, just to protect themselves.

Mr. Elliott

If you google it on the web, you will find that it can be as high as 20%.