Racial Profiling at BOS
Aug 11, 2012, 8:28 pm
#1
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Racial Profiling at BOS
From the NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/12/us...s-say.html?hpw
More than 30 federal officers in an airport program intended to spot telltale mannerisms of potential terrorists say the operation has become a magnet for racial profiling, targeting not only Middle Easterners but also blacks, Hispanics and other minorities.
Aug 11, 2012, 8:48 pm
#3
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And shameful as this report and alleged practice is, has a BDO ever found a ter'wrist? Anyone? ;-)
Aug 11, 2012, 8:57 pm
#4
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At a meeting last month with T.S.A. officials, officers at Logan provided written complaints about profiling from 32 officers, some of whom wrote anonymously. Officers said managers’ demands for high numbers of stops, searches and criminal referrals had led co-workers to target minorities in the belief that those stops were more likely to yield drugs, outstanding arrest warrants or immigration problems.
Aug 11, 2012, 9:02 pm
#5
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I wonder if the quotas are absolute numbers or if they are based on percentage of pax passing through a checkpoint?
I suspect a direct correlation between the numbers and managers' bonuses or pay increases.
I suspect a direct correlation between the numbers and managers' bonuses or pay increases.
Aug 11, 2012, 9:02 pm
#6
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DHS engaged in racist profiling? "I am shocked -- shocked -- that [racist profiling] is going on 'here'". 
The more amusing thing is how DHS and some airport "profiling" advocates are trying to defend the voodoo "security" program of "behavior-detection" at airports and on airplanes as if it were generally effective in identifying and/or even "deterring" terrorists. Closet racists -- which includes, but is not limited to, those who may publicly pretend to be shocked or disappointed by racist profiling of one sort or another yet advocate on its behalf in large part -- aren't locked in a closet. Peter King and his fans are involved, so shock at racist profiling at airports and on planes is merely from those feigning shock, the ignorant and/or those playing to the ignorant.
The more amusing thing is how DHS and some airport "profiling" advocates are trying to defend the voodoo "security" program of "behavior-detection" at airports and on airplanes as if it were generally effective in identifying and/or even "deterring" terrorists. Closet racists -- which includes, but is not limited to, those who may publicly pretend to be shocked or disappointed by racist profiling of one sort or another yet advocate on its behalf in large part -- aren't locked in a closet. Peter King and his fans are involved, so shock at racist profiling at airports and on planes is merely from those feigning shock, the ignorant and/or those playing to the ignorant.
Aug 11, 2012, 9:06 pm
#7
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From the article..."That is what happened last month at Logan airport to Kenneth Boatner, 68, a psychologist and educational consultant in Boston who was traveling to Atlanta for a business trip.
In a formal complaint he filed with the agency afterward, he said he was pulled out of line and detained for 29 minutes as agents thumbed through his checkbook and examined his clients’ clinical notes, his cellphone and other belongings."
So much for your privacy even if you don't fly.
In a formal complaint he filed with the agency afterward, he said he was pulled out of line and detained for 29 minutes as agents thumbed through his checkbook and examined his clients’ clinical notes, his cellphone and other belongings."
So much for your privacy even if you don't fly.
Aug 11, 2012, 9:19 pm
#8
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From the article..."That is what happened last month at Logan airport to Kenneth Boatner, 68, a psychologist and educational consultant in Boston who was traveling to Atlanta for a business trip.
In a formal complaint he filed with the agency afterward, he said he was pulled out of line and detained for 29 minutes as agents thumbed through his checkbook and examined his clients’ clinical notes, his cellphone and other belongings."
So much for your privacy even if you don't fly.
In a formal complaint he filed with the agency afterward, he said he was pulled out of line and detained for 29 minutes as agents thumbed through his checkbook and examined his clients’ clinical notes, his cellphone and other belongings."
So much for your privacy even if you don't fly.
If my cellphone is password protected, can I be forced to give them the password to allow them to search my pictures and call log as part of the 'administrative' search?
The excuse for going through his checkbook and papers, of course, is that they are looking for dangerous items like razor blades and sheets of plastic 'nasty'.
Aug 11, 2012, 10:03 pm
#9
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Let's not overlook this, toward the end of the article:
A critical assessment of the program in 2010 by the Government Accountability Office noted that aviation officials began the behavior program in 2003, in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, without first determining if it had a scientific basis.
Nine years later, this question remains largely unanswered, even as the agency moves to expand the program, the accountability office said in a follow-up report last year. It said that until the agency is able to better study and document the validity of the science, Congress might consider freezing tens of millions of dollars budgeted for the program’s growth.
Nine years later, this question remains largely unanswered, even as the agency moves to expand the program, the accountability office said in a follow-up report last year. It said that until the agency is able to better study and document the validity of the science, Congress might consider freezing tens of millions of dollars budgeted for the program’s growth.
Aug 11, 2012, 10:04 pm
#10
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I wonder how far they can take this at the checkpoint.
If my cellphone is password protected, can I be forced to give them the password to allow them to search my pictures and call log as part of the 'administrative' search?
The excuse for going through his checkbook and papers, of course, is that they are looking for dangerous items like razor blades and sheets of plastic 'nasty'.
If my cellphone is password protected, can I be forced to give them the password to allow them to search my pictures and call log as part of the 'administrative' search?
The excuse for going through his checkbook and papers, of course, is that they are looking for dangerous items like razor blades and sheets of plastic 'nasty'.
Or state that you'll be happy to help after consulting an attorney during their questioning.
Aug 11, 2012, 11:37 pm
#11
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For those who haven't heard about it, TrueCrypt lets you do that with computers, you create a hidden volume inside the encrypted volume, so the hidden volume contains the valuable stuff and the regular encrypted volume contains bogus data and the passwords are different. So you can have your highly confidential documents in the hidden with a password of "12345" and then non-sensitive documents filling up the regular one with a password of "67890", so if asked for a password, you give them 67890 and they will only have access to the data that is there just to throw them off.
Of course, you can always set up your BlackBerry to erase itself off after 3 failed attempts and you give them the wrong password to wipe it, then you remember that the phone has a different password, and the phone is now wiped.
Aug 12, 2012, 7:02 am
#12
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Aug 12, 2012, 7:54 am
#13
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Congress might consider freezing tens of millions of dollars budgeted for the program’s growth.
Seriously is anyone surprised that the SPOT program is absolute nonsense? It's not alone in that regard but the TSA will never, ever capitulate on any of them. The whole agency is a joke; or would be if it weren't so damned dangerous.
Aug 12, 2012, 8:41 am
#14
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The TSA Vodoo Science BDO program has only profiling or out right chance to rely on and is a total waste of taxpayers monies.
Just one of the 20 Security Theater Acts TSA calls security.
Aug 12, 2012, 12:23 pm
#15
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The officers said their co-workers were increasingly targeting minorities, believing the stops would lead to the discovery of drugs, outstanding arrest warrants and immigration problems, in response to pressure from managers who wanted high numbers of stops, searches and criminal referrals, The Times reported.
Mike