TSA and the War on Drugs
#31
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: An NPR mind living in a Fox News world
Posts: 14,153
My point is that the standard of proof for evidence in this thread is very weak.
I will address your statement. I have worked at airports for over 9 years in a lot of positions within TSA. I have never heard anyone in leadership encourage a TSO to look for drugs or illegal items. I have read each change to the SOP, and all of them have included the disclaimer to not look for anything outside TSA's mandate but to call the cops when it is found in the course of looking for something else.
I have done equipment maintenance on ETD machines. But I don't have access to the settings which determine the substances it detects. I wouldn't know how to switch them if I had access. I don't believe that the machines test for drugs because I have personally not seen many ETD alarms lead to drug arrests. I can't recall any actually.
I also have not seen many EDS alarms lead to drug arrests. Maybe 1 or 2 and the drugs were not the alarm they were found as a result of another search. Actually at my airport we find drugs about once every two to three weeks. Given the prevalence of drugs in the US, if the machines were looking for drugs we should expect to see many more drug arrests.
The whole argument is preposterous. Drugs are everywhere in the US. I see people dealing on my way into work. Every low income neighborhood has identifiable crack houses and areas to buy drugs. Cops could make arrests all day long if they wanted.
It makes no sense to create a dragnet at the airport especially when everyone knows that TSA searches your bags. It would be the most poorly thought out conspiracy ever. There are better ways to arrest drug users and you don't need to worry about covering anything up to do it.
I think that there is a good debate about the constitutionality of TSA searches, and also a good debate about the wisdom of TSA practices in general aside from the constitutional arguments. But this thread started because someone claimed to have met a guy who found drugs in his Russian doll style suitcases, and claims to have been searched every time. Seriously if this is your best argument, then you need to rethink your strategy.
The only person dumber than someone bringing drugs to an airport is the person who read this thread and thought it proved anything.
castro
I will address your statement. I have worked at airports for over 9 years in a lot of positions within TSA. I have never heard anyone in leadership encourage a TSO to look for drugs or illegal items. I have read each change to the SOP, and all of them have included the disclaimer to not look for anything outside TSA's mandate but to call the cops when it is found in the course of looking for something else.
I have done equipment maintenance on ETD machines. But I don't have access to the settings which determine the substances it detects. I wouldn't know how to switch them if I had access. I don't believe that the machines test for drugs because I have personally not seen many ETD alarms lead to drug arrests. I can't recall any actually.
I also have not seen many EDS alarms lead to drug arrests. Maybe 1 or 2 and the drugs were not the alarm they were found as a result of another search. Actually at my airport we find drugs about once every two to three weeks. Given the prevalence of drugs in the US, if the machines were looking for drugs we should expect to see many more drug arrests.
The whole argument is preposterous. Drugs are everywhere in the US. I see people dealing on my way into work. Every low income neighborhood has identifiable crack houses and areas to buy drugs. Cops could make arrests all day long if they wanted.
It makes no sense to create a dragnet at the airport especially when everyone knows that TSA searches your bags. It would be the most poorly thought out conspiracy ever. There are better ways to arrest drug users and you don't need to worry about covering anything up to do it.
I think that there is a good debate about the constitutionality of TSA searches, and also a good debate about the wisdom of TSA practices in general aside from the constitutional arguments. But this thread started because someone claimed to have met a guy who found drugs in his Russian doll style suitcases, and claims to have been searched every time. Seriously if this is your best argument, then you need to rethink your strategy.
The only person dumber than someone bringing drugs to an airport is the person who read this thread and thought it proved anything.
castro
2. It does make sense if one's goal is to trump up one's value to society by taking criminals off the street. Your leadership loves to make known the number of drug arrests (all coincidental, of course) from bag searches and SPOTNik surveillance. Congress and a large percentage of the American People don't really care whether or not this type of "police activity" is legal. The TSA wants to arrest "bad" people at airports. They don't care how they do it or why they are "bad."
3. The easiest way to conduct narcotics trafficking at America's airports is to bribe as many clerks (including management clerks) as is necessary to get the job done. Based on those arrested, their going rate is pretty cheap.
#32
Join Date: May 2003
Location: GEG
Programs: Motel 6 Club Avoir Le Cafard
Posts: 5,027
I'm about losing it with the TSA but not over drugs. Seems that my "Flyertalk" tag, the yellow one I got when I won the Flyertalk contest for the race through Europe, makes the TSA at DTW more than a little angry. I had NO idea why I was constantly being pulled out of line and placing my hands on my head to traipse through the "machine". 2 weeks ago I had every bag in my possession searched.
A few months back I had a kindly TSA agent TELL me that I was "one of THOSE people" and pointed to my yellow tag. I don't know WHAT will stop the harassment but taking the tag off will be my last resort.
A few months back I had a kindly TSA agent TELL me that I was "one of THOSE people" and pointed to my yellow tag. I don't know WHAT will stop the harassment but taking the tag off will be my last resort.
#33
In Memoriam
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Easton, CT, USA
Programs: ua prem exec, Former hilton diamond
Posts: 31,801
Yeah, you won't want to be displaying anything flyertalk related as you go through security.
#34
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 145
2. It does make sense if one's goal is to trump up one's value to society by taking criminals off the street. Your leadership loves to make known the number of drug arrests (all coincidental, of course) from bag searches and SPOTNik surveillance. Congress and a large percentage of the American People don't really care whether or not this type of "police activity" is legal. The TSA wants to arrest "bad" people at airports. They don't care how they do it or why they are "bad."
I also am critical of any TSA trumpeting of drug or contraband arrests. I think the entire TSA blog is a bad idea.
However most of the arrest stories are generated by reporters copying police reports. TSA doesn't arrest these people to begin with.
How is this related to the conspiracy theory that TSA somehow has turned on ETD drug settings to generate good publicity?
For the record, I have no problem with submitting to a search of my person or property as a condition of TSA employment. Screen me as often as you want, screen my employees.
I think everyone should be screened each time they enter the sterile area (except for LEOs).
castro
#35
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: DFW
Posts: 28,010
The machines are the same machines used by the prison system to detect for drugs. If the drug settings were turned on, then there should be more arrests.
So your theory is that TSA leadership has engaged in a secret plot to turn on the ETD drug settings to generate good publicity about drug arrests. This also doesn't make sense. A better plot would have been to coverup the arrests of TSA employees, especially since so many of the arrests involve TSA employees turning in other TSA employees.
I also am critical of any TSA trumpeting of drug or contraband arrests. I think the entire TSA blog is a bad idea.
However most of the arrest stories are generated by reporters copying police reports. TSA doesn't arrest these people to begin with.
How is this related to the conspiracy theory that TSA somehow has turned on ETD drug settings to generate good publicity?
For the record, I have no problem with submitting to a search of my person or property as a condition of TSA employment. Screen me as often as you want, screen my employees.
I think everyone should be screened each time they enter the sterile area (except for LEOs).
castro
So your theory is that TSA leadership has engaged in a secret plot to turn on the ETD drug settings to generate good publicity about drug arrests. This also doesn't make sense. A better plot would have been to coverup the arrests of TSA employees, especially since so many of the arrests involve TSA employees turning in other TSA employees.
I also am critical of any TSA trumpeting of drug or contraband arrests. I think the entire TSA blog is a bad idea.
However most of the arrest stories are generated by reporters copying police reports. TSA doesn't arrest these people to begin with.
How is this related to the conspiracy theory that TSA somehow has turned on ETD drug settings to generate good publicity?
For the record, I have no problem with submitting to a search of my person or property as a condition of TSA employment. Screen me as often as you want, screen my employees.
I think everyone should be screened each time they enter the sterile area (except for LEOs).
castro
#36
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Nashville, TN
Programs: WN Nothing and spending the half million points from too many flights, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 8,043
TSA Assists DEA in Search of NFL Visiting Team Bags for Drugs
I was checking up on my Sunday reading and found this little tidbit buried in a story:
(Bold is mine.)
Part of a larger story "Federal drug agents launch surprise inspections of NFL teams following games" from the Washington Post.
My questions are what role did the TSA have and why did the DEA even need them?
Federal drug agents conducted surprise inspections of National Football League team medical staffs on Sunday as part of an ongoing investigation into prescription drug abuse in the league. The inspections, which entailed bag searches and questioning of team doctors by Drug Enforcement Administration agents in cooperation with the Transportation Security Administration, were based on the suspicion that NFL teams dispense drugs illegally to keep players on the field in violation of the Controlled Substances Act, according to a senior law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation.
Part of a larger story "Federal drug agents launch surprise inspections of NFL teams following games" from the Washington Post.
My questions are what role did the TSA have and why did the DEA even need them?
#37
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: DCA/IAD
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http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/16/us/dea-nfl-investigation/
According to this, the encounter with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took place at BWI.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/fo...icle-1.2012969
And according to this (15th paragraph), NFL teams are routinely screened at hotels or stadiums before they leave for the airport.
Either of those could explain TSA involvement.
According to this, the encounter with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took place at BWI.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/fo...icle-1.2012969
And according to this (15th paragraph), NFL teams are routinely screened at hotels or stadiums before they leave for the airport.
Either of those could explain TSA involvement.
#38
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Nashville, TN
Programs: WN Nothing and spending the half million points from too many flights, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 8,043
http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/16/us/dea-nfl-investigation/
According to this, the encounter with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took place at BWI.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/fo...icle-1.2012969
And according to this (15th paragraph), NFL teams are routinely screened at hotels or stadiums before they leave for the airport.
Either of those could explain TSA involvement.
According to this, the encounter with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took place at BWI.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/fo...icle-1.2012969
And according to this (15th paragraph), NFL teams are routinely screened at hotels or stadiums before they leave for the airport.
Either of those could explain TSA involvement.
The TSA would be searching for WEI. We know that. The do it for all professional teams that travel by air. But, why would the DEA need assistance for a drug search?
The search for WEI is an administrative search. The one done by the DEA is a criminal investigation. Conjecture: The teams line up for the expected WEI search and the trainers and physicians are suddenly lined up for a search that involves possible criminal charges and prosecution. Were there warrants issued? I would think that there had to be if this was a criminal investigation. So, a team away from home is going home and expecting the normal WEI search and finding a search for criminal activity. IANAL, but is this even legal?
#41
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: DCA/IAD
Programs: AS, US, Hilton, BA, DL, SPG, AA, VS
Posts: 1,628
#42
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: An NPR mind living in a Fox News world
Posts: 14,153
#43
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: An NPR mind living in a Fox News world
Posts: 14,153
http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/16/us/dea-nfl-investigation/
According to this, the encounter with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took place at BWI.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/fo...icle-1.2012969
And according to this (15th paragraph), NFL teams are routinely screened at hotels or stadiums before they leave for the airport.
Either of those could explain TSA involvement.
According to this, the encounter with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took place at BWI.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/fo...icle-1.2012969
And according to this (15th paragraph), NFL teams are routinely screened at hotels or stadiums before they leave for the airport.
Either of those could explain TSA involvement.
Based on the way my Giants played on Sunday, they should have raided the Giants rather than the 49ers.
#44
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 3,526
He (Rusty Payne) characterized the DEA actions Sunday as administrative in nature,
#45
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Seattle, Wash. USA
Posts: 1,530
If the DEA kicks in the door of a meth lab, it's a raid. If they kick in the door of an NFL locker room, it's an unannounced inspection. Same goes for banks.