Originally Posted by
FlyingUnderTheRadar
LEOs can do an administrative search. Happens all the time at court house entrances. As such, it is not so much as who does the administrative search as to what and how the search is conducted.
In some discussions that I have had with a congressional staffer, they noted that some would like TSA to have LEO credentials. Under the current system, (i.e. those currently employed) the vast majority of the TSO would probably not be able to pass the LEO standards. As such, if they were weeded out, the system might be much more professional and efficient. Think what if TSOs had to have the same level of education and LEO training as those in the Secret Service/Federal Marshall.
BTW I am not saying I am for it. But I am certainly all for raising greatly the standard for those being hired as TSOs.
Unfortunately, this would undoubtedly lead to an 'LEO-qualified' subset of TSOs within the larger TSO community. That would mean that any interaction or dispute with a TSO 'bad apple' would be effectively adjudicated on the spot by another TSO, albeit LEO-qualified.
In some airports, LEOs rubber stamp TSA's actions. There have been a few reports where the airport LEOs did not do so. If we give anyone in TSA LEO authority, we will completely lose. This is the scariest potential development I have heard yet.
BTW, we keep hearing that a significant percentage of TSOs have LEO/military backgrounds. Has anyone ever actually seen stats on this? There are clearly many many TSOs who, just based on appearance (age) couldn't have extensive pre-TSO background in much of anything, let alone LEO/military. I wonder how many base TSOs actually have such experience.
I should add, I don't see previous LEO experience (or even military experience) as necessarily helpful. Seems like folks with such backgrounds are pre-disposed to view every pax as a perp.