Originally Posted by
goalie
why in god's name didn't this sheep just keep on walking and ignore the spotter. that's what i would do, "plane" and simple. let spot run after me and see what happens.....
^^
When I wear sunglasses indoors, it's because I have a migraine and I'm sensitive to light. If someone asked me to take them off, I know what I would say (it's a TOS violation to post it).
Some of my favorite quotes from the article:
An October report by the National Research Council, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, concluded that there is "no scientific consensus" that behavioral surveillance techniques like those employed by the TSA are an effective way to combat terrorism. It found they have "enormous potential for privacy violations."
Nationally, more than 2,500 behavior detection officers work in 161 airports. They receive four days of classroom training and three days of training on the job. Last year, they flagged 98,711 people for secondary screening and wound up referring 9,836 of those to law enforcement.
And caught not one single terrorist. It's always easier to fight crime by checking anyone at any time for any reason. However, our Constitution prohibits it -- except at airports, apparently.
"For us to become involved and do more than just a casual conversation, we have to operate on reasonable suspicion and probable cause," said Lambert Police Chief Paul Mason said. "If they call us, we respond. The officer does what he thinks his training tells him to do and what our procedures are."
In other words, we understand and comply with the Constitution. We're not stopping someone because a BDO thinks they are acting "suspiciously."
Bill Switzer, the TSA's federal security director at Lambert, said the officers who volunteer to do behavior detection work have a background in security screening, and undergo a thorough assessment. Officers receive ongoing training.
"You can't just be anybody off the street," Switzer said.
No, indeed. Education through, at least, the 6th grade is an absolute requirement.
But Mason, who is president of Airport Law Enforcement Agencies Network, disagrees. He said behavior detection officers attend a week's worth of classes to perform tasks that intelligence officers take years to perfect.
And the very nature of airports makes it difficult to get an accurate read of people, he added.
"When people come to an airport, they're usually experiencing some emotion. Anxiety. Joy," Mason said. "And how they manifest that could easily be mistaken for furtive behavior of a suspicious person."