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The TSA Wants to Expand Security Beyond Checkpoints

A TSA agent dons rubber gloves at a security checkpoint at Washington Reagan National Airport in Washington, November 22, 2010. U.S. authorities will reconsider airline passenger screening procedures that have caused public uproar on the eve of the busy holiday travel season, the top transport security official said on Monday. REUTERS/Jason Reed (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS TRANSPORT CRIME LAW IMAGES OF THE DAY)

After noted leadership changes and a string of scandals, what does the future of the Transportation Security Administration hold? New administrator David P. Pekoske gave a preview in his 2018 “State of the TSA” address – and the agency in charge of securing the skies wants to expand their reach beyond the terminal.

Will the Transportation Security Administration start screening you at train stations and other terminals? In a speech delivered by new administrator David P. Pekoske at George Washington University, the “State of the TSA” may not be limited to airports in the future.

“We must be faster to minimize vulnerabilities and make risk determinations, and we must be faster to acquire and deploy new technology to the front lines,” Pekoske said in prepared remarks. “We must engage, inform and empower the public to see themselves as part of the security solution and as recipients of a secure system.”

In addition to praising the agency’s response to natural disasters in California and Puerto Rico, alongside acknowledging agents who went “above and beyond the call of duty,” Pekoske outlined three key areas the TSA wanted to grow over the next ten years. The first point was improving security beyond the airport checkpoint.

“We must continue to support the owners and operators of surface transportation systems who do the important work of securing pipelines, buses, rail, freight, maritime, and mass transit systems,” Pekoske said. “It also includes focusing on things most people don’t see, like vetting, analysis of intelligence information, raising global aviation security standards, inspections, air marshals in flight and partnerships with industry.”

Today, the TSA is much more visible in both the public eye and within intelligence circles, despite being accused of racial profiling in the past. Last year, the TSA was involved in the presidential inauguration ceremony, screening individuals who went to watch the event on the Capitol Mall.

Second, Pekoske highlighted the need for the agency to quicken their pace to act, deploying new screening technologies to the front lines faster to aid security. Finally, the TSA wants to support their employees better, with the goal of becoming “an employer of choice.” Hiring and maintaining staff morale has been a continued challenge, as employees have likened the TSA’s culture to “Lord of the Flies,” while over 800 agents tested positive for drugs or alcohol between 2010 and 2017.

“Transportation security is a collective effort and all of us have a role to play,” Pekoske said. “When we perform our roles well, we create a choreographed partnership defined by a shared commitment to safety and security.”

Some of the administrator’s vision has already come to life. At Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport (AVP), flyers will be required to screen all laptops individually as part of an “new, stronger screening procedure.”

[Photo: Shutterstock]

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5 Comments
B
BC Shelby April 3, 2018

...great so now when I travel by train or bus I will have to submit myself to the same indignation and humiliation as I would travelling by plane. Not to mention, be concerned about my luggage being pilfered. This is part of why I choose not to fly whenever possible (the other is what I call "medieval torture class"). So what next, will they also be at every city transit stop and commuter rail station/tram platform in the nation wanding and groping people before they board, making you take your shoes and belts off (fun in snowy weather), open your briefcases, purses, and backpacks so they can rifle through them, and/or empty your shopping bags out for inspection? This is getting beyond farcical.

C
ckfred April 3, 2018

The comment about new technologies was interesting. There used to be a show on Discovery Channel called Future Weapons. One show demonstrated a new screening device that could determine the safety of liquids. Frankly, it can even tell regular Coke from Diet Coke, whether in a glass bottle, plastic bottle, metal can, or a cup from a restaurant. The Chinese government bought a number of screening devices to use for venue screening of spectators at the 2008 Olympics. The devices were touted as improving airport security, making screening faster, and allowing passengers to bring beverages and toiletries in full-size containers onto airplanes. Yet, TSA hasn't made any changes.

J
John Isaac March 15, 2018

They can't even do their current job---and now they want to take on more???

A
arcticflier March 15, 2018

I am a law-abiding and pro-law enforcement American citizen BUT I find this article concerning. Lets leave TSA where they belong...protecting air travelers.

M
mike2003242 March 15, 2018

Awesome, that's all we need is the TSA to spread it's ineptness elsewhere!!