May 20, 2010 8:00 PM

TSA Officers Lack Training to Spot Terrorists

By
CBS News Investigates
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News

A new government report released Thursday reveals that federal officers with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) who are tasked with the job of spotting terrorists at airports have little training.

As CBS News Chief Investigative Correspondent Armen Keteyian first reported on Wednesday the TSA's behavior detection officers have never spotted a terrorist. Furthermore, the Government Accountability Office discovered that at least 16 known terrorists travelled through 8 different U.S. airports 23 times where the program had been implemented.

The GAO report says the TSA implemented its behavior detection program, which now costs taxpayers about $200 million annually, without first determining if there was any scientific valid basis for using it.

Read the GAO Report

As part of the program, specialized TSA officers watch passengers waiting in lines at select U.S. airport checkpoints and are supposed to be able to recognize anyone who is a security threat based on an analysis of facial expressions and body language.

According to the GAO, the TSA's behavior detection officers typically work in teams of two and "training includes 4 days of classroom courses, followed by 3 days of on-the-job training."

In a statement, the TSA told CBS News that their program has resulted in about 1,700 arrests for criminal activities. The GAO report shows the majority of arrests between May of 2004 and August of 2008 was for individuals with illegal immigration status and outstanding warrants.

Behavior detection is a strategy borrowed from the Israelis whose airport security is considered the gold standard. Rafi Ron, the former head of security at Tel Aviv airport who specializes in behavior detection techniques, says the TSA program is too limited. In Israel, he says, behavior detection is spread throughout the entire airport, conducted by all airport employees and is coupled with strategic interviewing that is not done in the U.S. The TSA's behavior detection program is one of 20 aviation security measures in place at the nation's airports.


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by Smiley307 May 23, 2010 9:24 PM EDT
TSA SPOT workers should be allowed to have plain clothes; not uniform. They should also have a cell phone with camera to act not conspicuous... act as if in conversation; an be able to photo suspicious persons near rest rooms, etc. or others re arranging luggage contents. They can then forward photo with comment of concern to other person at ticket counter to further investigate person of suspense...I would enjoy this job as non uniform employee.
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by Smiley307 May 23, 2010 9:27 PM EDT
TSA employee should also have a camera on them to not allow stealing of others possessions. They should be held accountable as any other citizen. Others with unusual behavior are not going to show any unusual emotion or actions with a uniformed person close by.
by shomam May 28, 2011 9:49 PM EDT
TSA employee should also have a camera on them to not allow stealing of others possessions. They should be held accountable as any other citizen. Others with unusual behavior are not going to show any unusual emotion or actions with a uniformed person close by. http://methoo.com
by Harden_Tar May 21, 2010 1:12 PM EDT
I saw TSA jack up an old guy that had to be in his eighties. He was wearing what were obviously orthopedic shoes. He could barely walk as it is. Probably lost half of both his feet in WWII. He didn't want to take his shoes off going through security because he told them he could not walk at all without them. Didn't matter. They surrounded this poor old guy and forced him to take his shoes off and when he couldn't stand, wanded the crap out of him sitting down. Belt off, pockets inside out, etc. Meanwhile Osama Bin Laden could have strolled right through as long as he could get through the metal detector. That right there made me an anti TSA zealot. I do not think that all of them personally are idiots, but the way they are directed to do their jobs gives them no hope at all of ever operating like an efficient security or appearing even remotely competent.
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by barbaram99 May 21, 2010 11:59 AM EDT
The bush fear and control.
The belittle of us who are handicapped
the book of 1984
I am trully appalled
The wars over oil
What other lies are covered up
This is not the America the Founding Fathers set upas bush hated the US Constution and said so
He changed the govt to what it is.
A living hell.
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by gearstar May 21, 2010 9:48 AM EDT
TSA is to busy Texting on their cellphones,flirting with coeworkers and not paying any attention to nothing.Many times there are bags unattended and they don't pay any attention to them because they are to busy chatting with other coworkers.They don't give a damn because their paycheck is always there and they have Goverment benifits.TSA is a joke but to the public eye they look good so who is fooling who.
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by jsf14 May 21, 2010 10:34 AM EDT
Don't agree with "to the public eye they look good."
by talltimber41 May 21, 2010 9:16 AM EDT
I've been going through airports quite frequently for the past nine years. I figured that out a long time ago. The TSA is window dressing.
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by rktsci3127 May 21, 2010 9:11 AM EDT
Wow, they get 7 days of training and can't do a good job?? I think Obama and Napolitano had about the same amount. Like the AZ Governor said, "'Mr. President, Secretary Napolitano - Do Your Job!"
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by jsf14 May 21, 2010 8:36 AM EDT
I don't know how the Israelis train their screeners, but I do know the interviewers seem to be college age kids who do the job for a short time, leaving for other work before they get stale. They speak lots of languages and, unlike some TSA people, they do not yell at passengers.
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by us_1776 May 21, 2010 12:52 AM EDT
Another one of GW Bush's boondoogles. Of course science was never his strong suit or anything else for that matter.
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by lilbear925 May 20, 2010 10:35 PM EDT
Unfortunately, most of the TSA personnel I have encountered could not identify a flight threat if they were talking to one. I have even encountered some TSA employees who DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH! How do these people get jobs like that?
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by releggneh1 May 20, 2010 9:50 PM EDT
Oh come on, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this one out!!! If he lokk pasty like an american, buys a one way ticket, with no check on baggage & talks with an accent, has been on the no fly list for 18 months. I think that would be good enough reason not to let Hadji board the aircraft!! Come on,it can't be that tough!! Quit trying to be OBama correct & frisk the SOB's. You know Obama,neoploitgano & holder wont do anyhting to stop this.. Remeber he just announced to the mexican dictator that we have no borders!!!
Reply to this comment
by XenaUSofA May 21, 2010 8:44 AM EDT
You are not correct. According to open sources he was not on the no fly list for 18 months. And, so what if he had a one way tic and paid with cash. It's not illegal. He was screened. You should start asking why tsa management wastes bunches of money, allows the continues harassment of women and those who want to do the right thing, allows those in upper management, who they have found to commit theft, fraud, misuse of government property, etc etc to continue to work at tsa. Yet, if a screener steals something they are (rightfully so) fired on the spot.
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