Feel Safe Now?

From today's USA Today:

Checkpoint screeners at 32 of the nation's largest airports failed to detect fake weapons — guns, dynamite or bombs — in almost a quarter of undercover tests by the Transportation Security Administration last month, documents obtained by USA TODAY show.

The tests, the first since the security agency began overseeing checkpoint screening in February, were done by agents who were instructed to do little to try to conceal the items as they passed through screening checkpoints, memos about the tests show.

Overall, screeners missed simulated weapons in 24% of the tests. At three major airports — in Cincinnati, Jacksonville and Las Vegas — screeners failed to detect potentially dangerous items in at least half the tests. At a fourth, Los Angeles International Airport, the results weren't much better. The failure rate there was 41%. Screeners repeatedly failed to find stainless-steel test pieces that set off metal detectors as guns might. Screeners also had trouble spotting simulated bombs....

See also this:

When officials with the Transportation Security Administration hire at least 45,000 airport screeners by late this year, they most likely will be forced to choose from among a group that has difficulty spotting even obvious weapons.

Forget the sophisticated bomb that a terrorist might conceal in the lining of a carry-on bag. TSA test results obtained by USA TODAY show checkpoint screeners at 32 of the largest airports missed almost a quarter of potential weapons -- and 30% of simulated bombs -- when the items were tossed into a suitcase like a passenger packs a pair of socks.

TSA officials say the undercover tests, done in June by its agents, weren't intended to simulate how a terrorist might try to bring a bomb aboard. Rather, they were designed only to provide a baseline measure for how well today's screeners -- almost all hired and trained by private security companies -- recognize basic weapons....

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Mon. 07/01/02 11:35:05 AM
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