The United States spends billions on transportation safety to prevent terrorist or any type of attack on American citizens. Airport security are one of the major problems that the government faces, and the solution is the TSA, also known as the Transportation Security Administration. Passengers believe the TSA is effective in abolishing problems such as terrorism, however, this is not the case. Airport security is not effectively protecting the passengers which is shown through the negligence and violations of the TSA employees, ineffective profiling techniques used by the TSA, and unqualified workers that are placed to protect citizens.
There are many who believe that the TSA is effective, according to Gallup Poll, 54 percent of Americans believe the TSA has been successfully and effectively doing their job. Similarly, 41 percent claim that "TSA is extremely or very effective at preventing attacks on U.S. airplanes" (Politico) while 30 percent of Americans say the TSA has been reasonably effective, as a result, confirming that most Americans do believe the TSA has been effective to a degree. Supporters of the current TSA argue that new techniques are being taught and updated , such as SPOT (Transportation Security Administration's Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques), for upmost performance of the TSA. The TSA continues to advance in order to protect the citizens of the United States. Airport security has new technological advances separate of the skills taught to TSA and airport security such as the full body scanners and explosive detection systems and even to the extent of checking shoes and belts. However, the opinions of average Americans, newly developed profiling techniques, and improved technology does n...
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... Most Dangerous" officers is a list of many TSA agents that have shown major mistakes and criminal actions (Politico) as a result of incomplete background checks on TSA agents. The effectiveness of the TSA is not just based on profiling technique and technology, but employees must carry out the proper procedures without being ill-trained and incompetent.
Given these points, the TSA is not effectively protecting the passengers shown by many misconducts of the TSA agents including misbehavior, abusive actions, and stealing. Newly developed profiling techniques that the government spent billions on are unable to be proven that it is effective in detecting suspicious activity which wastes American tax dollars that should be spent other improvements. At last, many TSA workers are shown to be untrained and unqualified to be placed on protecting the lives of citizens.
One of these agents once told me that they had to do their job but they were also proud of the work since they believed they helped to keep our flights safely. Even though, we all hate to go through TSA scanners for they are time-consuming and so annoying. I certainly won’t convince anyone who despises those TSA scanners. Luke 6:31 says, “Do to others as you would like them to do to you.” Eventually, those TSA agents should get compliments from us for keeping flights safely. I often wonder if there is a better way to go through these obnoxious
The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2011 prompted the world to reevaluate and drastically modify airport and airline security. “Four targets had been chosen, all iconic American buildings that would send a clear message of the depth of their hatred for the United States. All four planes crashed, killing all on board—terrorists, crew members, and passengers, along with hundreds who were killed inside the structures, on the ground, and the men and women who ran into collapsing buildings in an effort to try and save others” (Smutz 1). As Jason Villemez said “the decade after the 9/11 attacks reshaped many facets of life in America” (Villemez 1). Before the attacks, people did not think that large scale hostility towards innocent people in our country was remotely possible. Ever since that fateful moment, citizens in America are on their toes every day worrying about another attack happening. United States citizens have had to adapt and change in response to this fear of further terrorist assault on our country. One of the ways they have adapted is by changing their means of security concerning airline travel.
After 9/11 there was a great increase in security nationwide. One major example of this is the number of agencies created as a result of 9/11. Among these agencies include the creation of the TSA (Transportation Security Administration), the DHS (The Department of Homeland Security), the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), and lastly the massive advancement of the US Coast Guard. Every one of the budgets of these agencies has doubled since 9/11. The creation of the transportation and security administrations primary goal is to improve the safety of all American Citizens traveling by plane. The TSA started implementing, new policies and new technological advancements.
“What time should we leave? Two hours in advance? Three? Four?” Millions of people ask these questions each year before boarding a plane. Between driving, security, walking to the gate, and getting settled, boarding a plane exhausts travelers. But out of all of these different activities, one frustrates and restrains travelers the most: TSA security. People ask why they need all this security, complain about the inconvenience it causes, and ultimately annoys people to no end. Created after 9/11, Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, nationalized airport security, increased screening duration, and supposedly increases security on flights. However, statistics say these added security measures never come to fruition and potentially cost more lives than they save.
"The Reality of Racial Profiling." CivilRights.org. The Leadership Conference, 22 08 2012. Web. 4 Mar. 2014. .
... Using behavior profiling instead of racial profiling, we can eliminate unfair treatment of an entire group of people to improve airport experiences for everyone. Experts in behavioral sciences could be hired to monitor airports and determine when dangerous situations arise. This system of security could be an improvement over the current one, because homeland security can be improved without the discrimination of an entire race. Racial profiling in airports creates unnecessary frustration for innocent passengers simply hoping to travel across the globe. Some may argue that the precautions are necessary to keep America safe from terrorism, but passenger profiling is too ineffective and unfair to be accepted as a valuable process. Airport security is hard enough to get through as it is, but the prejudice of an entire race is not taking us in the right direction.
Chuck Goodwin explains, “TSA, which stands for Transportation Security Administration, is an agency in the Department of Homeland Security and is responsible for screening all travelers and their luggage, as well as the screening of all air and rail transportation in the US.” Many travelers know of the them for their increased presence in all airports in the U.S and other major American airports worldwide. After the terrorist attack that took place in September 2001, President Bush and his advisors implemented The Patriot Act. Tracey DiLascio explains, “The Patriot Act is complex, but its major provisions act to improve coordination and communication between government intelligence agencies, removing unwieldy and unnecessary legal barriers between different federal offices and allowing vital investigations to proceed with greater ease and efficiency.” Their idea was to ensure that all intelligence agencies would communicate in a way that would keep America safe. “Steps to prevent events of the scale of those that took place at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, began to fall into place almost immediately...The first outline of a proposal for what would eventually become the USA Patriot Act was drafted just days after the attacks.” (DiLascio) Due to past terrorist attacks, the TSA has implemented security measures in the airports they occupy. “Following September 11, 2001, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was created to strengthen the security of the nation’s transportation systems and ensure the freedom of movement for people and commerce.” (TSA website) These measures include full body scanners and pat downs.
Over the years the men and women that risk their lives by boarding planes under a false identity to protect us have been called many things. The names range from simple, “Sky Marshal” to more complicated “Civil Aviation Security Liaison Officers.” No matter what they have been called through the years one thing has always stayed the same. The United States Federal Air Marshals have always been a group of our finest law enforcement officers that give up the luxury traditional police work to sit next to crying babies and old talkative ladies all day. They do this with one goal in mind, to keep the airways safe for private citizens to enjoy the luxury of travel. “The history of the air marshals is closely rooted with the history of hijackings and bombings targeting commercial aircraft. Some of the bombings and hijackings throughout history had more of an impact than others on Federal Air Marshal tactics, manpower and security procedures. These events and the responses of those in civil aviation and the US government are essential to understand the need for air marshals as a last line of defense.” (Biles, 2013) With the rise of crime in the aviation sector the US government has gone to the Federal Air Marshals more times than not for protection of its citizens. It has not always been easy for them and they have not had the best funding around but as you will see throughout this paper, The US Federal Air Marshals have always answered when called upon.
President Barack Obama receives an average of 30 death threats a day, totalling close to 11,000 a year! But what prevents these people from carrying out their threats? The Secret Service. The United States Secret Service is well known for protecting the President and keeping him out of harm’s way, but they also investigate counterfeit, forgery, and financial crimes. The Secret Service has had a huge impact on the safety of the President, Vice-President, and their families. The Secret Service has had a long and interesting history, starting when President Abraham Lincoln established the United States Secret Service on April 14, 1865. That was the exact same day John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln! It was created at the advice of Hugh McCulloch, the Secretary of Treasury at the time and its main purpose was to stop the creation and circulation of counterfeit money. Started operating on July 5, 1865, with its first chief being William Wood. At one point in time, Congress thought about adding the protection of the President to the Secret Service’s list of duties, but it wasn’t added until James A. Garfield was assassinated in 1881 and William McKinley was assassinated in 1901 that they finally did. President Theodore Roosevelt was the first President to receive protection by the Secret Service in 1901, and every President after has has been protected by the USSS. Later on, the Secret Service became in charge of protecting others. After Robert Kennedy, a presidential candidate at the time, was assassinated in 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson made the Secret Service in charge of protecting presidential candidates as well. The Secret Service has had a lot of new jobs assigned to them, but their agents are the ones who help get the jobs done....
The importance of the TSA in security can be seen on a daily basis, even though this security comes at a price. Majority of the time the lines move smoothly and delays are caused by passengers who rush and fail to follow the rules. This week alone 37 Firearms were discovered, of the 37 firearms, 34 were loaded and 15 had rounds chambered. (Transportation Security Administration, 2014) These are dangers items that we don’t know the intent of the passengers. If you look back at the events of 9/11 lesser weapons (box cutters) were used by the hijackers to take over the plan, fear is a powerful tool. The TSA has used multiple detection systems which assist with detection of these items which include but not limited to body scanners, chemical scanners (which detection gun power ingredients), metal detectors ...
* Nielson, Arrah. "Profiling needed for airport security." The University Daily Kansan. 27 August 2003. 1 November 2004.
The gate agent’s job appears to be a balancing act between the safety of each passenger and the inconvenience of the process they must undergo to ensure that safety. Agent Ludo Sanchez was part of the first wave of those hired after the Trade Center event. He applied for the TSA position out of a sense of patriotism as soon as he became aware that there was a need. Also, in Sanchez’s defense, on the day of the incident, as soon as he was notified that his area had been breeched, he immediately began “the standard procedures for securing the area, and sealing the terminal from further passenger traffic” (p. 6).
Have you ever been followed by store officials or security while shopping in a department store? At first, all of the attention can be flattering but quickly becomes insulting once you realize they’re not following you to offer any assistance. Instead because of how you look you fit a certain profile that causes store officials to think you’ve come to their store to steal. This type of behavior is called racial profiling. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, racial profiling refers to the discrimination practice by law enforcement officials of targeting individuals for suspicion of crime based on the individual’s race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin. Citizens need to be more aware of racial profiling and make laws that racial profiling should be illegal. Racial profiling is carried out by law enforcement airport security, and other security personnel that look to profile the minorities for no reason. Heather Sally Newton Driscoll ebscohost.com stated “The practice of profiling is rooted in centuries of discrimination and is based on stereotypes that have long been disproved. Profiling holds on entire population accountable for the committed by a small minority”.
The country’s recently heightened airport security measures have become a source of controversy and debate across the Nation. Due to a recent attempted act of terrorism, where a man on an international flight to Detroit attempted to blow up the plane using a bomb, the department of homeland security has taken new measures to ensure national security in the form of new high- tech full-body scans and pat down procedures in airports. The new body scanning machines create images of people without their clothing, and the new pat down procedure is generally considered too personal. Many people feel that the new airport security screening is an invasion of privacy. A recent poll by Zogby International claims that 61% of Americans oppose the new security measures (Martin, Los Angeles Times).
The main opportunities that the scheduled air transportation will have in the next five years are the possible decrease of TSA agents at airports, technology increasing the safety and comfort of the flights for the passengers and ...