Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Airport security in the US essay
Airport security in the US essay
Airport security in the US essay
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Airport security in the US essay
I. Summary Formed by Public Law 107–71 on November 19, 2001 a mere two months after the coordinated attacks of September 11th, the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) is an organization charged with maintaining security of the nation’s transportation system. Originally structured under the Department of Transportation (DOT) and later under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) the TSA is responsible for the security of civil aviation to include research and design as well as other modes of transportation that are governed by the DOT (Public Law 107–71, 2001). Aviation facility screening and security can be directly provided and supervised by the TSA or privately contracted in accordance with §44919 (Public Law 107–71, 2001). II. Problem …show more content…
Title 49 § 44919, 2001). This leads logically to the question of whether a private security firm is equally effective at incident prevention as a TSA administered program. III. Significance of the Problem Over 3,000 dead, two skyscrapers in the middle of New York City destroyed along with a portion of the Pentagon, and four airliners crashed by an attacking force of only 19 militant Islamic radicals (9-11 Attacks, n.d.). The results of that day illustrate how important it is to secure our airports and ensure that passengers are being adequately screened to prevent any further attacks using such devastating tactics. It is therefore imperative that each airport facility managers analyses their airport’s situation and makes the best decision for its safety and security. IV. Development of Alternative …show more content…
When an airport submits to the TSA its request to transition to private security it can only make requests for specific providers. The TSA makes the final decision and awards the contract to the company it chooses and oversees (Korth, 2012). This allows the possibility of undue influence in the bidding process and also creating an entity similar to the TSA in size and scope with no real difference between the two. As private corporations grow they become less and less flexible and with the TSA making the decisions regarding the individual contracts that is a door that could be easily opened for abuse by a system with a dismal track record of public
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.
As the 19 hijackers made their way through the three East coast airports, on September 11, 2001, planning on executing the world’s worst terrorist attack in history, they test the U.S airport security. At almost every step along the way, airport security posed no challenge to the 19 terrorist hijackers. Not to their ability to purchase tickets, to pass security checkpoints while carrying knives, and other objects that be used as weapons on them. Not one step of airport security posed as a challenge or threat to the terrorist. If airport security was more advanced and carful as it is now, the hijackers would have never made their way on to the
After the fear of terrorism grew in the United States do to the Al Qaeda 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, the US Government found a need for a centralized department that umbrellas all other agencies when it comes to homeland security. The U.S. Government found this umbrella agency with the passage of the Homeland Security Act by Congress in November 2002, the Department of Homeland Security formally came into being as a stand-alone, Cabinet-level department to further coordinate and unify national homeland security efforts. (Homeland Security) With the creation of the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) the government had a pinpoint location for the collection and gathering of intelligence, control of policies that effect national security, and a no fail mission. The Department of Homeland Security started to engulf other agencies and created many more, a total of 22 agencies now fall under the DHS. The DHS is control of all areas that deal with national security which included but are not limited to coastal and boarder protection, domestic terrorism, international terrorism, protection of the American people, protection of key infrastructure, protection of key resources and respond to natural disasters.
Seaney, Column By Rick, and Ceo Of Farecompare. "Post 9/11 Flight Security: When Increased Safety Isn't More Effective." ABC News. ABC News Network, 09 Sept. 2011. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
National Security Agency/Central Security Service The National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) was established in November 1952 to provide a cryptologic organization for the civilian and military leaders of the United States and to provide them with timely information. The National Security Agency (NSA) coordinates, directs, and performs highly specialized activities to produce foreign intelligence information and protect United States information systems through two main missions, Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) and Information Assurance (IA). The Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) mission uses cryptologic machines to break foreign codes to find out what they know and what they are doing. The biggest accomplishment publicly known was when they broke the Japanese military code in World War II and learned that Japan had plans of invading Midway Island.
“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.
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.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement often referred to as I.C.E is an elite agency under the branch of Homeland Security formed in 2003 in response to the attacks on 9/11. ICE has two major components, Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations. It is also the second largest law enforcement organization in the United States, second only to the FBI. ICE was created when merger of the investigative and interior enforcement elements of the U.S. Customs Service and the Immigration and Naturalization Service. ICE has over twenty thousand employees in offices all over the U.S. and in forty seven foreign countries, about seven thousands of these employees are special agents. ICE has only one field office in New Jersey, located in Newark but it has nearby offices in Philadelphia and New York City. ICE has six detention facilities in New Jersey. A few of them are: Bergen County Jail, Monmouth County Correctional Institution, and Essex County Correctional Facility. Currently ICE doesn’t have a director, but the assistant director is Daniel Ragsdale and Chie...
The Secret Service was created in 1865 as a federal law enforcement agency within the Treasury Department. It derives its legal authority from Title 18, United States Code, Section 3056. It was established for the express purpose of stopping counterfeiting operations which had sprung up in this country following the introduction of paper currency during the Civil War (Treasury, 2002, Online). The Secret Service maintains its role as guardian of the integrity of our currency, but today also investigates crimes involving United States securities, coinage, other government issues, credit and debit card fraud, and electronic funds transfer fraud. The most obvious of its other activities is executive protection, which began after the assassination of President McKinley in 1901(Treasury, 2002, Online).
Details the formation and growth of the homeland security field in the U.S. National warning systems, as well as government and citizen groups are summarized. Also, des...
Over the course of the history of the United States of America, the country has had struggles with its own borders and the protection of those borders. Illegal immigration is a big problem and the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and cash over our borders into our country has evolved into a bigger problem. The United States has over seven-thousand miles of border to cover each day. That is quite a bit of land, but the only problem with this is there is a lack of manpower to cover every single mile of border. The US shares its borders with Canada and Mexico. All along these borders are small communities and cities that are occupied by US citizens. This means that these cities and communities require the protection of our Homeland Security Agency.
After 9/11, the government took measure to upsurge the safety in aspects like aviation and borders, this included the 9/11 Commission Report. The 9/11 Commission report entailed various recommendations on terrorist attacks upon the U.S. It begins with the U.S. government ascertaining present or prospective terrorist sanctions. the 9/11 commission report is an uncommonly lucid, even riveting, narrative of the ...
These costs are distributed to each airline as they use this resource to transport passengers. As new politicians are elected to Congress and new administrators take charge of the FAA, new regulations regarding this industry. These regulations affect everything from mergers to the airspace that the airlines operate in, as well as what hubs and airports each airline operates out of. These factors are not issues that the industry faces, the TSA, the Transportation Security Administration, creates an unnecessary burden for the passengers attempting to travel from one location to another. The TSA inspections required before a passenger is allowed to board their respective flights allows time for each passenger to become frustrated with the amount of time they have to allot for inspection as well as the invasion of their privacy.