Transportation Security Administration Case Study

The Transportation Security Administration was formed as part of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act after the attacks of 9/11. It was created to oversee security for highways, railroads, buses, mass transit systems, airports, and water ports. The majority of the TSA efforts, however, are airport security. This organization is responsible for screening passengers and baggage prior to being loaded onto commercial planes. Since its inception, there have been many issues in regards to the TSA and its inspectors. The following are items of airport security controversies within TSA. These controversies involve police organizational issues and administrative challenges for criminal justice administrators. This paper will discuss how a potential

criminal justice administrator would address these issues.

Retention of Transportation Security Officers (TSO) is extremely low.

This is due to low morale and low pay. “A 2008 investigation by DHS (Department of Homeland Security) OIG (Office of Inspector General) found that TSA suffers from low employee morale, resulting in a 17% voluntary attrition rate” (Committee on Transportaion and Infrastructure, 2011, pg 8). Often time officers are working hours on end looking at screens that are xraying baggage. This type of work can be monotonous. “It will surprise few then that TSA agents have among the worst morale and highest turnover of government employees” (Calabresi, 2015). Adminstrators should be willing to cross train officers and allow them to change duties during the course of their shifts in order to keep them alert to suspicious items and people. This would improve morale.

This mass turnover in personnel is a budgetary strain on an already highly budgeted agency. When trained employees leave, the agency has to train a new employee. The cost involves salary of the employee, the salary of the trainer, and cost associtated with equipment for training purposes. The avaerage pay of a TSO is $28,000 “which is below the federal povery level for a family of five” (Clalabresi, 2015, pg 50). The saying goes “you get what you pay

for”.

This agency is supposed to be a premier deterent to stopping terrorist attacks against mass transit systems. But with such a low salary, TSA is recruiting substandard applicants. There have been many complaints of TSO’s falling asleep, sexually harassing passengers, and missing possible explosive devices during covert training exercises. With the type of personnel working for the safety of the mass transit system, it is a wonder that a terrorist act has not been successful.

An administrator should look at the highering practices of TSOs.

The standards for officers should be risen. Right now the general qualifications to be a TSO is to be a citizen over 18, to speak English, and to have an equivalent to a high school diploma (tsa.gov). Salaries needs to increase in order to bring more highly qualified applicants in. With a higher salary, higher standards should be qualifications. Those standards could be some higher education completion, military service, and passing of a standarized training program. This program should challenge the applicants and test their loyalty to the agency. The agency should “have an organizational culture that supports a good selection process…have a validataed job related selection process using psychological test, background investigations, and interview. A training and evaluation system to support the selection process is required to teach the correct skills and evaluate early and often” (Schupp, 2015). There are many qualifications when looking for the right canidates for the position. According to Dennis Nowicki an applicant should be enthusiastic, have good communications skills, must have good judgement, a sense of humor, be creative, a self-motivator. He must know the job and the system, an ego, and couragious. The candidate must understand discretion, must be tenacious, and have a thirst for knowledge. (Peak, 2016, pg 125) With an increase in salary and an increase in expectations of applicants, the agency

can hire better qualified candidates.

An administrator should improve the the benefits of the officers. This agency does not share the benefits that other federal governement agencies have. “And that pay doesn’t grant the job securityof many other government employees. In 2014, 165 TSOs were terminated for medical conditions including arthritis, asthma, cancer, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder...” (Calabresi, 2015, pg 50). The agency must demonstrate a loyalty to its personnel if they inturn want loyalty to be demonstrated for the company.

Working conditions and morale can improve if the TSA begins to increase qualifications of applicants. A strong work ethis is important especially considering the nature of what a TSO must do. The salary must increase. A provider for the family must know that the wages he or she makes will support that family in comfort. Benefits should be added to the officer. The standard of benefits should be in conjunction with what other federal employees receive. Keeping a high morale among officers of the TSA will reduce turnover and embolded those officers to keep the public safe.