Originally Posted by
Bart
Y'know, law dawg, it is frustrating at times how often non-decisions are made around here. Perhaps you're right: it is the worst of both worlds. And I have to admit that perhaps my interpretation of what constitutes a good military leaders is skewed because I was assigned to specialized operational units. We conducted live, no-sh*t, real-world missions, so the BS factor was extremely low when it came to getting things done. Everyone I was affiliated with was a self-starter because we couldn't function with a permission-seeker in our midst.
At any rate, a good leader lets subordinate leaders do their jobs. And that was what prompted this sidebar discussion. I'm certain the same applies in law enforcement circles as well. The on-scene commander, or whatever it is you call the senior officer, has to be able to make the call without the chief of police second-guessing him from behind the desk. This includes situations when an officer screws up. I may not be saying it correctly, but you get the gist of what I mean.
Bart something that I think is key is that most people who move through airports have not served in the military. Many have but even from the draft days of the Vietnam era those people are now in their mid 50's and up. Even those who have left the service don't take kindly to being ordered about.
Encountering a military like atmosphere is foreign to many and not well recieved. People
don't want to be treated as a criminal or some kind to lessor person just because they want to get on an airplane. They are not conditioned to respond well to barking orders of some unknow person. That is why the staffing TSA with former LEO and military types and such works against public acceptance. The new hires right out of high school or college have no reference to what should happen in a work place so they take their clues from the older workers. This contributes to the problems of citizens asking questions about what they are being subjected to certain procedures and screeners feeling they are being challenged about their A-Thor-A-TY.
TSA needs a complete overhaul.
People are subjected to uncalled for abusive secondary screenings just for asking questions.
They have permitted property confiscated by poorly trained TSO's.
Constitutional violations occur to often at TSA checkpoints and no effective corrective action is taken to correct this abuses.
Can the new head of TSA make the needed changes?
I don't think so but wish him good luck and I am willing to allow some time to see how he sizes up his new post.