The Transportation Security Administration has made some revisions to its airport security program. You can read all the changes on the TSA site, but here are some things that popped out at me:
Starting December 22, there will “additional screenings of passengers and their bags using a variety of methods selected at random.� I think that means the passengers will be selected at random, not the methods.
“Examples of this additional screening include: explosive screening of shoes, hand-wanding of passengers, enhanced pat down searches and inspections of carry-on bags.� I think that means screening for explosive shoes. I’m not sure I want to speculate on “enhanced pat down searches.�
Also, starting December 22, “scissors with a cutting edge of four inches or less and tools such as screwdrivers, wrenches and pliers smaller than seven inches will be permitted on board.� The prohibited items fact sheet explains the change:
Current data shows that scissors and tools make up about 25 percent of the total number of prohibited items nationwide. The number of scissors discovered at checkpoints and the time and effort dedicated to positively identifying them is disproportionate to the threat they pose.
Finally, some logic!
But now look at this statement about the screeners:
In addition to these changes, the agency’s 43,000 Transportation Security Screeners have been re-classified as Transportation Security Officers (TSOs). This new classification illustrates that TSOs will be more empowered than ever before to use their knowledge and training to detect and defeat terrorists and to focus their attention to areas where the threat is greatest.
Does this make sense? Is TSA giving all its 43,000 screeners more power by changing their titles? A story in GovExec says that the new transportation security officers have been given the GS-1802 law enforcement designation so as to open a career path into other law enforcement components at the Homeland Security Department. But I don't think that's the whole story. Maybe this just the public sector version of giving a person a more impressive title when you can't give him more money.
What do you think?
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