TSA's bomb-sniffing dogs
Nov 14, 2016, 8:28 am
#241
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A recent profile of a currency detecting K9 assigned to IAD
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/lo...399745791.html
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/lo...399745791.html
On Oct. 3, Nicky helped officers seize more than $74,000 unreported by two men headed to Serbia.
"We don't necessarily want to go out and just take anyone's money that's traveling," Dowling said.
Nov 14, 2016, 8:42 am
#242
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I'm confused.
I thought that Neffy claimed he needed money for dog teams to handle the lines TSA caused by their work slowdown. The dog teams were supposed to be used to clear regular pax for Pre treatment.
Has anyone seen these dog teams working at the checkpoints lately?
Or are they elsewhere, looking for drugs and money while the checkpoint lines get longer and slower?
Was Neffy lying or was he genuinely clueless about what the dogs are being used for? Or is this something else that's left up to 'FSD discretion'? Send the dogs to PHX to help with long lines, but the PHX FSD doesn't support Pre, so he diverts the dogs to baggage areas?
I thought that Neffy claimed he needed money for dog teams to handle the lines TSA caused by their work slowdown. The dog teams were supposed to be used to clear regular pax for Pre treatment.
Has anyone seen these dog teams working at the checkpoints lately?
Or are they elsewhere, looking for drugs and money while the checkpoint lines get longer and slower?
Was Neffy lying or was he genuinely clueless about what the dogs are being used for? Or is this something else that's left up to 'FSD discretion'? Send the dogs to PHX to help with long lines, but the PHX FSD doesn't support Pre, so he diverts the dogs to baggage areas?
Nov 14, 2016, 3:17 pm
#244
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I have to ask myself if they are doing any studies to see if handlers' racist and sexist prejudices are involved in how the handlers use the dogs.
I have noticed in the U.K. that some handlers of bomb-sniffing dogs like to re-run the dog only on passengers -- or, more specifically, the baggage of passengers -- who appear to be of at least some non-European ethnic heritages.
I have noticed in the U.K. that some handlers of bomb-sniffing dogs like to re-run the dog only on passengers -- or, more specifically, the baggage of passengers -- who appear to be of at least some non-European ethnic heritages.
Nov 14, 2016, 7:04 pm
#245
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I have to ask myself if they are doing any studies to see if handlers' racist and sexist prejudices are involved in how the handlers use the dogs.
I have noticed in the U.K. that some handlers of bomb-sniffing dogs like to re-run the dog only on passengers -- or, more specifically, the baggage of passengers -- who appear to be of at least some non-European ethnic heritages.
I have noticed in the U.K. that some handlers of bomb-sniffing dogs like to re-run the dog only on passengers -- or, more specifically, the baggage of passengers -- who appear to be of at least some non-European ethnic heritages.
Nov 15, 2016, 6:01 am
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Why don't they use BDO against the dog-using security forces too to weed out potentially unlawful, prejudicial behavior by such? It would be an interesting test, but my bet is that there really is no governmental drive to root out such behavior of doubtful merit and legality.
Last edited by GUWonder; Nov 15, 2016 at 6:07 am
Nov 17, 2016, 1:15 pm
#247
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APHIS working dogs
Must be a slow news week but here is another feel-good story on some of DHS' working dogs. The link to the photos are fascinating but be forewarned - folks that are faint-of-heart will find some upsetting.
http://wjla.com/features/7-on-your-s...beagle-brigade
http://wjla.com/features/7-on-your-s...beagle-brigade
Nov 17, 2016, 2:08 pm
#248
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speaking of dogs and TSA...
Thanks to petaluma1 for the link, posted in another thread. This is a 2016 report.
https://www.ustravel.org/system/file...y_Airports.pdf
20 largest airports? I have seen a couple reports of dogs screening the lines and pax being cleared on the spot for Pre, but I personally haven't seen them.
https://www.ustravel.org/system/file...y_Airports.pdf
The National Explosives Detection Canine Team Program (NEDCTP) was transferred to TSA in 2002, after its establishment as the Federal Aviation Administration’s Explosives Detection Canine Program in 1972. TSA’s NEDCTP utilizes Passenger Screening Canine (PSC) teams to deter and detect explosives within airports and other transportation systems across the nation.44The agency currently deploys 997 canines,322 of which are led by TSA handlers, with the remaining 675 utilized by local law enforcement in transportation environments, including airports. Approximately one-half of TSA’s 322 teams are already certified, and 10 teams are operational in passenger screening.
In a June 2016 hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger emphasized the importance of PSC,noting that the program increases efficiency in the passenger screening process, often with greater accuracy than conventional methods.46As a result, TSA shifted PSC teams to the 20 largest airports in the United States, to maximize detection capability in an effort to mitigate long wait times outside of secure areas.
TSA is currently retraining cargo canines for passenger screening, with the goal of deploying them by the end of the calendar year. The remaining multi-modal teams will be trained for passenger screening operations in 2017.
In a June 2016 hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger emphasized the importance of PSC,noting that the program increases efficiency in the passenger screening process, often with greater accuracy than conventional methods.46As a result, TSA shifted PSC teams to the 20 largest airports in the United States, to maximize detection capability in an effort to mitigate long wait times outside of secure areas.
TSA is currently retraining cargo canines for passenger screening, with the goal of deploying them by the end of the calendar year. The remaining multi-modal teams will be trained for passenger screening operations in 2017.
Nov 18, 2016, 9:27 am
#249
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Keep in mind they are up to about 50 operational PSC teams right now and the dogs, like humans, do not/cannot work 24 hours a day. They are also at not just the 20 largest airports but at the airports deemed to be highest risk. So some airports have more than one team while others have only one team. So, unless you are at all checkpoints at all 20 of those airports all day long, you personally not seeing a team is not at all unusual.
Nov 18, 2016, 9:45 am
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Keep in mind they are up to about 50 operational PSC teams right now and the dogs, like humans, do not/cannot work 24 hours a day. They are also at not just the 20 largest airports but at the airports deemed to be highest risk. So some airports have more than one team while others have only one team. So, unless you are at all checkpoints at all 20 of those airports all day long, you personally not seeing a team is not at all unusual.
Some people who work at some very large airports in the US near the main screening checkpoint have never seen TSA dogs -- speaking of canines of course.
Nov 18, 2016, 10:14 am
#251
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Keep in mind they are up to about 50 operational PSC teams right now and the dogs, like humans, do not/cannot work 24 hours a day. They are also at not just the 20 largest airports but at the airports deemed to be highest risk. So some airports have more than one team while others have only one team. So, unless you are at all checkpoints at all 20 of those airports all day long, you personally not seeing a team is not at all unusual.
I mean, 'mitigating long lines' doesn't mean a dog team shows up 30 minutes every fourth day at a non-busy time at one checkpoint at a major airport like ATL or ORD.
What is the average amount of time a dog can be put to work clearing checkpoint lines? At some point, I have to wonder if the dogs, given their limitations and how they are being currently employed, are actually a cost-effective 'layer'.
Going forward, I wouldn't be surprised to see TSA running drug-sniffing dogs at airports in states where medical MJ is legal. Because personal quantities of MJ is a huge threat to aviation security, and besides, as TSA has demonstrated before, if you can't do the job you're trained to do, double down on other useless or annoying 'catches', because 'catch counts' is more important (and fun) that looking for actual threats.
Last edited by chollie; Nov 18, 2016 at 10:24 am
Nov 18, 2016, 11:07 am
#252
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As with dogs so with the TSA: they have to think they will be rewarded for finding something in order to make them alert to trying to find whatever it is they are called to interdict but may otherwise not find.
Nov 18, 2016, 11:31 am
#253
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So if the pooch wants a reward it might give a false alert.
Nov 18, 2016, 11:50 am
#254
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Nov 18, 2016, 11:51 am
#255
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Less likely than getting a reward by doing what the handler wants -- that including re-running people/items that the handler considers "suspicious" but which the dog thought unworthy of more than a quick pass once.