Ysitincoach

TSA may not require first and last name be given or displayed, but do individual airports mandate that SIDA credentials be visible at all times?

Heck, if you're issued a sporting venue credential, the first thing most say on the back is, "must be visible at all times."

Chaos.Defined

§ 1520.5 Sensitive security information.
(11) Identifying information of certain transportation security personnel. (i) Lists of the names or other identifying information that identify persons as—

(A) Having unescorted access to a secure area of an airport, a rail secure area, or a secure or restricted area of a maritime facility, port area, or vessel;

(B) Holding a position as a security screener employed by or under contract with the Federal government pursuant to aviation or maritime transportation security requirements of Federal law, where such lists are aggregated by airport;

(C) Holding a position with the Coast Guard responsible for conducting vulnerability assessments, security boardings, or engaged in operations to enforce maritime security requirements or conduct force protection;

(D) Holding a position as a Federal Air Marshal; or

(ii) The name or other identifying information that identifies a person as a current, former, or applicant for Federal Flight Deck Officer.


So this is a SSI violation then?
§ 1520.17 Consequences of unauthorized disclosure of SSI.

Violation of this part is grounds for a civil penalty and other enforcement or corrective action by DHS, and appropriate personnel actions for Federal employees. Corrective action may include issuance of an order requiring retrieval of SSI to remedy unauthorized disclosure or an order to cease future unauthorized disclosure.

FliesWay2Much

No, because requirements for "safeguarding" SSI apply only to "covered persons" of which passengers are not (unless the passenger happens to be a DHS employee). There's absolutely nothing they can do except for checkpoint harassment or personal lawsuits.

N965VJ

Just to clarify, the Mike I was referring to is at TravelUnderground.org, not any of the TSA employees named in the PR fluff that were handed awards at a Marriott Resort event.

Global_Hi_Flyer

And apparently passengers don't.

"STATE YOUR NAME"

WillCAD

This whole identity mess is another morass created by an agency that seems above any sort of oversight or accountability, either from the public they're supposed to be protecting, or the Congress they're supposed to be accountable to.

I certainly understand the concept of protecting a person in a public service job from being harassed; my dad is a career cop, and early in his career he learned the hard way that cops need unlisted phone numbers or scumbags they arrest can look up your number in the phone book and make harassing calls at all hours of the day and night.

However, the idea of a uniformed, badged government workforce, with the power to deny people their Constitutional rights, whose identities are considered secret, is horribly frightening. We aren't supposed to have secret police, secret laws, or secret courts in this country; the mere existence of such secret government is antithetical to the concepts of freedom and democracy upon which this country was founded.

TSOs have badges and name tags; they should all have a unique badge number or employee number, and should be required by law - not just by TSA regs, but by federal law - to both display that identifying information and to provide it to anyone who asks, as ALL times when on duty.

Likewise, non-uniformed TSA personnel such as TSMs and AFSDs should also be subject to this requirement. Anyone in the TSA command structure who has any decision-making ability when it comes to traverlers, luggage, cargo, or sterile area access should be held to this standard.

Beyond that, I have noticed that it's darn difficult to find out who the FSD is at any particular airport. TSA doesn't publish contact information for any of them, nor does it maintain any sort of list of their positions; the best you can do is to find press releases when someone is appointed FSD, but just because someone may have been appointed FSD at a particular airport 2 years ago doesn't mean they're still FSD, and there seems to be a lot of turnover in that job, with few people lasting more than 2-3 years. Local contact information for each airport's FSD's offices, and a list of all current FSDs and AFSDs should be kept up to date on the TSA web site.

But, that will never happen. Never. TSA is, as we all know, completely beyond any sort of transparency or accountability.

I'm just venting my frustration. I've said these things many times before, as have lots of others on FT. It just twist my knickers really tight whenever I think about it.

Combat Medic

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign...rveillance_Act

WillCAD

Yeah, I've known about the FISA for some time and I'm of the opinion that it's also very un-Constitutional.

In my opinion, any part of the government being kept secret, especially courts or law enforcement, denies the People the rights of due process and redress of grievances, and secret courts deny the right to a speedy and public trial and the right to confront one's accuser in open court.