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Old Nov 8, 2017, 3:52 pm
  #1  
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TSA Fails Most Tests

http://abcnews.go.com/US/tsa-fails-t...ry?id=51022188

In recent undercover tests of multiple airport security checkpoints by the Department of Homeland Security, inspectors said screeners, their equipment or their procedures failed more than half of the time, according to a source familiar with the classified report...

When ABC News asked the source familiar with the report if the failure rate was 80 percent, the response was, “You are in the ballpark.”
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Old Nov 8, 2017, 4:12 pm
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Maybe they should start paying more attention to their xray and NoS screens and less attention to their cellphones and people's genitals.

Pissy doesn't deserve a bonus for this lackluster performance, but he'll probably get one because catching 20% of contraband is so much better than catching 5%.

Perhaps if TSA fully staffed more lanes, they wouldn't have such horrendous long lines and the resulting chaos. They might find it easier to concentrate on the task at hand without all the self-generated pressure and distractions.

I'm sure the last test failures were followed up with a list of recommendations for TSA. I wonder if they bothered to follow those recommendations (because I seriously doubt they were responsible for the increased focus on genitals and breast milk).

It's interesting to see TSA faulted for not following procedure. Someone should have reminded the testers that screeners have the final say on what actual procedures are at the checkpoint and in baggage search.
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Old Nov 8, 2017, 4:30 pm
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Well, we can't blame the former TSA Administrator for this years round of tests and have yet had a naming contest for Pekoske.

Seems TSA is doing somewhat better than the 95% failure rate of the last testing that made it to the pubic but how hard is it to improve on a 95% failure rate?

I think this passage from the link in OP's post is interesting:

The congressman also noted that Viper teams, specially trained Homeland Security teams that use canines to secure transportation facilities, are being cut from 31 to eight.
Wasn't expanding the use of pooches suppose to be how to speed up TSA checkpoints?

2001 to 2017 and it seems that TSA is still flailing away at doing things that minimum pay contractors were doing adequately and for way less than $8,000,000,000.00 taxpayer dollars each year.
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Old Nov 8, 2017, 5:38 pm
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"The TSA is taking these findings very seriously" -- TSA Spokesman

"Give us more money for better screener machines and we will be able to see items in carryon luggage." -- TSA Chief in testimony to the US Congress
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Old Nov 8, 2017, 8:21 pm
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Originally Posted by HawaiiTrvlr
"The TSA is taking these findings very seriously" -- TSA Spokesman

"Give us more money for better screener machines and we will be able to see items in carryon luggage." -- TSA Chief in testimony to the US Congress
This is at least the second budget year that I can recall in which TSA has intentionally slowed lines and implemented more odious screening methodology in a blatant and transparent attempt to extort more budget from Congress with outright lies that buying new machines or hiring more people will keep the Bad Guys at bay, reduce the three-hour waits, and eliminate the 95% failure to detect Bad Things.
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Old Nov 8, 2017, 9:10 pm
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Originally Posted by WillCAD
This is at least the second budget year that I can recall in which TSA has intentionally slowed lines and implemented more odious screening methodology in a blatant and transparent attempt to extort more budget from Congress with outright lies that buying new machines or hiring more people will keep the Bad Guys at bay, reduce the three-hour waits, and eliminate the 95% failure to detect Bad Things.
And let's not forget extorting the general public - "if you had PreCheck, you'd already be home!"
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Old Nov 8, 2017, 11:29 pm
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Originally Posted by Boggie Dog
Wasn't expanding the use of pooches suppose to be how to speed up TSA checkpoints?
It certainly slows it down at MSP.
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Old Nov 9, 2017, 7:03 am
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Originally Posted by sethb
It certainly slows it down at MSP.
A few weeks ago, I was at work at DIA. I went out of security to visit an office in the main terminal and went back to the A Concourse security point. TSA had closed off all but 1 access point and the screening line was long and growing. They even funneled employees and TSA Pre Check into the same long line. It turns out they brought out the explosive detection dog out and was walking up and down the line.
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Old Nov 9, 2017, 7:07 am
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In order to professionalize, you need to Federalize :-(
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Old Nov 9, 2017, 7:57 am
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Originally Posted by sethb
It certainly slows it down at MSP.
Originally Posted by HawaiiTrvlr
A few weeks ago, I was at work at DIA. I went out of security to visit an office in the main terminal and went back to the A Concourse security point. TSA had closed off all but 1 access point and the screening line was long and growing. They even funneled employees and TSA Pre Check into the same long line. It turns out they brought out the explosive detection dog out and was walking up and down the line.
Yes, it seems the dogs are slowing the lines down. If Pres are supposedly trusted travelers, why are they being sent past the dog? Also, from what I can deduce, the dogs are NOT being walked past passengers but passengers are being forced to divert so that they walk past the dog.
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Old Nov 9, 2017, 8:52 am
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I use to know a guy that was a canine handler. As I remember canines have a very short attention span which limits their work day to pretty short periods. I just don't see how TSA using canines is a long term solution to anything that TSA does.

The real question is why can't TSA train its employees to actually screen for threat items? Is it because these people are looking for things that just don't matter, playing mind games, and fondling genitals?

If TSA is missing somewhere around 80% of threat items then it is clear we are not getting the TSA that our $8,000,000,000.00 annual tax dollars worth.

Fro the ABC link:

Rep. Mike Rogers went as far as to tell TSA Administrator David Pekoske, "This agency that you run is broken badly and it needs your attention."
A sentiment that has been repeatedly stated for years by many posters on FT.
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Old Nov 9, 2017, 11:42 am
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I wonder what the TSA's failure rate was before the current scope 'n grope regime went into place? We didn't hear much about it back in those days.

Their attempts at increasing security produce the opposite effect.
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Old Nov 9, 2017, 11:57 am
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Originally Posted by jfunk138
I wonder what the TSA's failure rate was before the current scope 'n grope regime went into place? We didn't hear much about it back in those days.

Their attempts at increasing security produce the opposite effect.
Two years ago 95%.
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Old Nov 9, 2017, 12:33 pm
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Originally Posted by Boggie Dog
Two years ago 95%.
I'm more curious about pre-scope (2008?), when TSA transitioned from annoyance to atrocity. TSA was reasonably good at staying out of the headlines until they started scope n' grope.
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Old Nov 9, 2017, 1:11 pm
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Originally Posted by Boggie Dog
Wasn't expanding the use of pooches suppose to be how to speed up TSA checkpoints?

2001 to 2017 and it seems that TSA is still flailing away at doing things that minimum pay contractors were doing adequately and for way less than $8,000,000,000.00 taxpayer dollars each year.
Yes, one of the ways. The number of ED dogs dedicated to aviation is constantly expanding. The Viper teams are not dedicated to aviation but work any of the modes that TSA has responsibility to "secure." I believe some of the K9s used by Viper teams are being redirected to being dedicated to aviation.


And that is one of the most important points - all of this could be done for WAY less. But TSA is not simply about transportation - it is a highly important aspect of domestic security objectives that could not be achieved without an entity such as TSA providing "cover."
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