More SPOT/ID Checking stupidity
 

TSA.gov
News & Happenings

January 10, 2008

TSA's behavior detection and document checking officers have been busy this month. Just last week, a TSA behavior detection officer in Florida observed an individual in the public area of the airport, prior to the checkpoint, displaying suspicious behavior and contacted the airport police.

The police interviewed the individual, who was not traveling. During the interview, the individual threatened the officers and became combative.

Further investigation by law enforcement revealed that the individual has a felony probationary status and previous criminal history including loitering, robbery with a weapon, disorderly conduct, resisting an officer and battery. The police removed the individual from airport property.

In California, a transportation security officer specially trained in document checking identified a suspect passport presented by a Singapore-bound passenger.

The officer notified a nearby TSA behavior detection officer, who responded and confirmed that the passenger was exhibiting suspicious behavior. Airport police, as well as the FBI, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) were notified and interviewed the passenger.

During the interview, the FBI determined that the passenger had provided false identification, and that his passport and other identification did not match. Further investigation indicated he was here illegally. The individual was taken into custody by CBP and escorted to a detention center, pending further charges.

These are just a few examples of TSA's partnership with agencies across the Department of Homeland Security and the law enforcement community to make air travel safer.

So it's "stupid" that they nabbed an illegal alien using a fake I.D., eh? :confused:

I'd say that's a pretty good day's work, myself. :)

These disgusting activities contribute nothing to security and are a real and credible threat to the American way of life.

Yes, it's the right task of duty for FBI, police, etc to catch illegal aliens. Is it TSA's job? What's your job description?

The first person in California... pointless and stupid. TSA's business is to screen passengers for dangerous items and to check their ID's - at the checkpoint. Roaming the public area of the airport is pointless. That's not their responsibility. That's mission creep, and what bothers me.

The second person in Florida... while it makes sense for the other agencies - TSA was the one who brought this up. Read above for what TSA's responsibilities are. Again, mission creep.

Soooo... was the guy doing anything illegal, or was the whole conflict instigated by the TSA & police? If the guy had been doing anything wrong the TSA probably would trumpet it, so it's safe to assume the guy was innocent before he "threatened" police. Obviously "threatening" a LEO is a bad thing to do, but even I (no arrests, etc.) would be a bit put off if I were approached by police in a public place, interviewed for no good reason, and was made to show ID (otherwise how did they know his history).

So they are going to force him to do what he was in the process of doing? Can you imagine the horror if he had been allowed to leave the country at his own expense? :rolleyes:

I would not be surprised if the "fake" ID was one with a different transliteration of his name.

Using these highlights for PR purposes is like a dealer showing off a car by giving test-drives in one with a broken engine.

The fact that the TSA PR machine doesn't recognize this shows just how pathetic they are. Either that or they're making fun of their bosses.

<insert 3 stooges theme>
see spot run
see spot run
they all ran after the ter'wrist
they all ran after the ter'wrist
oh, see spot run

tsa has yet to nab a suspected/alleged terrorist but have nabbed plenty of lighters, puddings, gels, contact lens solution and not to mention a few illegals, wanted folks, women being kidnapped to india by their husbands and even a 5 year old boy but nary an evil ne'er-do-well ter'wrist

spot is a joke. at least in the military, ocs produces 90 day wonders vs the 5 day spot miracle workers who are supposed to be our first line of defense in the war on terrah. blech

I've thought long & hard about this, and I still can't come up with a connection with civil aviation security.

Again, Idiot Kip Hawley probably still doesn't understand that this type of stupidity is why he and the TSA are despised and ridiculed.

One down, 12 million to go. :rolleyes:

Wow. Can the TSA be any more desperate for positive publicity?

Given their current place in the Popularity Spectrum, all they really can go from being akin to dog feces is positive. @:-)

Yeah, unfortunately someone will be deported from USA. It was charges as fake identify was trying to get through checkpoint. THey will gets secondary screening and after TSO will notified to law enforcements will be arrested them. IT doesn't sense from TSA has more problems by false identify to get onto the planes.

If I read that correctly, your point is that TSA has better things to do than check for fake ID's, right?

so.... someone who was leaving the US, is arrested, now in custody, which we are paying for, will be provided a lawyer, which we will be paying for, and then deported, which we will pay for...

hmmm.... we could have just taken his prints and biometric info and let him leave the country and caught him/her the next time they tried to enter... but no, we got a "big fish" with this SPOT on program... :td:

Which we are also paying for - billions and billions and billions.

Maybe they figured out how to kill Bin Laden - make him laugh himself to death.

Please show me how that has anything to do with TRANSPORTATION SECURITY?

Your agency is not Immigration nor is it law enforcement. However, since TSA fails miserably at its mission and hasn't caught a single terr'ist, it needs to come up with something to look like it's doing good.

Pitiful. Since when were checkpoints ever supposed to be a dragnet?

Generally one tries to catch illegal aliens when they're entering or staying in the country. Arresting them leaving the country so that you can deport them is, well, stupid. Record their identity and tell them not to bother coming back.

What they are advertising is that another part of the same government agency (DHS) was too inept to catch him when he entered the country.

It's two fold. One is trying to generate publicity for a program that is terribly unpopular. The second is to generate support for Chertoff's Real-ID program by demonstrating that there is value in inconveniencing every American in the hopes of catching the 0.00001% of the population that might be illegal.

Note that they called the SPOT officer when the suspected fake ID was noted.

TheZipper hit the nail right on the head! I can't believe TSA detaining somebody LEAVING the country...If it is indeed a "good day's work" what do TSA do the rest of their 8 hours or so?:confused:

real ID
 

As for Chertoff's new "program" for more misuse and waste of $$$. The current news already shows that no matter what, they will find a way to get through. Also, how do we determine who qualifies to get a Real ID and who doesn't? What about the loner in the backroads of Tennessee? Can't base it on race alone or else even Chertoff himself won't qualify.:rolleyes:

I witnessed the ID check theater tonight at IAD while waiting for Mrs Flies to come home. Saw several SPOTniks as well. I leave on Sunday, and I will request that the ID checker change his gloves. -- Film at 11.

Three of the 9-11 hijackers had expired visas and thus were in the country illegally.

From Consumer's Reports:

I do not think this is out of the realm of possibility, either.

On a personal note, I had an interesting experience last week ... a gentleman came through my lane presenting an expired Libyan passport as identification. He behaved in a very creepy manner, initially trying to coerce me into letting him pass through, then turning abusive when I insisted on calling a supervisor. Was he in the country illegally, or up to some nefarious purposes? I don't know ... it sure made me wonder, though.

I suppose there are some here that would have been comfortable with just letting him board the plane with no additional screening and no questions asked, though. Right? :rolleyes:

Yeah, there's an impartial publication (NOT!). CU is a "safety at any cost" organization.

Clearly suspicious and creepy behavior with an expired third-world passport? I see no objection to checking him out further, even to the point of an SSSS. But if he checks out, no, there should be no impediment to his boarding a plane. The issue comes where SPOT is used - either through interrogation or looking for supposed non-obvious behavior. The trouble is that such behavior is very subjective.

And they all had valid ID.

One could be issued a drivers license as legal alien yet be in the country after their visa expired. They can present a valid DL and still be admitted. Or even just take a secondary without any ID.

Checking ID does not enhance security.

And quite frankly, TSA isn't going to be the one to stop it either.

Not your place to know or care. Your job is to make sure he's clean for that flight. Let the FBI, Intelligence agencies and other LEO's do their job, and TSA should do theirs.

It's this extra stuff that distracts TSA from it's primary mission that it could only questionably complete when it wasn't focused on this other garbage.

Treat him as a selectee if he doesn't have valid ID per your rules. If he's clean, let him pass.

Being Libyan doesn't automatically make him a terrorist, just as being an American doesn't mean you're a good guy either.

Keep looking for your Big Catch® :rolleyes:

So, there are two instances of TSA's "partnership with agencies across the Department of Homeland Security." The first one was to TSA dude noticed some guy loitering around the airport looking suspicious. They removed him from the airport. Umm, McDonald's employees can do that themselves. They don't need to cooperate with the FBI or whoever to do that.

The second one was the TSA noticed suspicious behavior by a person who was leaving the country who was not suppose to be in the country anymore. So they detain him in the country forcing him to be in the country longer. The specially trained at detecting fake ID's TSA guy wasn't even the one that detected the fake ID. The FBI was.

Is this an article from The Onion?


Edit: The TSA should really stick to what it's there for. Imagine the coast guard launching the space shuttle. There are reasons why there specialized departments. But most departments actually have something to do, TSA must be board out of their minds...

If you want to broadcast these lame attempts to scare people, call NBC News.

Good thing he didn't have an expired U.S. passport, because that would have really encouraged a major power trip by one of the airport mall cops.

It doesn't matter what you do, because Bush is too afraid to go into Pakistan to get Osama, and wouldn't listen to the FBI Agent in 2001 who said 9/11 was being planned. And Clinton wouldn't take Osama when offered by the Sudanese. So we productive citizens have to pay for more bureaucrats, and useless three letter agencies.

What you guys do is not work. don't insult us. You're not paid by customers who choose to do business with you, or by citizens who think you're necessary. You're simply part of a big government jobs program, for people who can't deal with the realities of the private sector marketplace.