TSA’s $900 Million Failure

TSA’s $900 Million Failure

After spending approximately $1 billion over the span of about 10 years for a program started by TSA to train agents to spot terrorists and criminals from groups of everyday passengers by observing behaviors that may indicate stress, fear or deception, Congress has determined that the Screening of Passengers by Observation Technique (SPOT) program has yet to prove its effectiveness.

TSA’s $900 Million Failure

Perhaps it was the recent shooting at Los Angeles International Airport that helped trigger this decision, but the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report saying that Congress risks wasting more money on this program if it continues to fund it without scientific proof that it works.

Found within the GAO report, “Twenty-one behavior detection officers at four airports said that some behavioral indicators are subjective and that they are working to better define them.”

Wow! Almost one billion dollars to fund a program that is based on the personal feelings and opinions of “trained” TSA agents…seems like money gone down the drain. However, the Department of Homeland Security does not agree with the recommendation to cease funding of the SPOT program, even though “the study that TSA cites in defending this program was fundamentally flawed,” weighed in Rep. Cedric L. Richmond, the ranking Democrat on the transportation security subcommittee.

What do you think?

Do you agree with the Department of Homeland Security that the program should be salvaged?

Or, because all available evidence and data shows that the program cannot be proven effective and that profiling is “probably no better than chance,” should the program be ceased and the funding used in a different way? What better way can these funds be used?

Sources:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/13/politics/tsa-terrorist-observation/index.html

http://news.yahoo.com/tsa-screening-report-181448603.html

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/11/tsa-behavior-profiling-not-effective-gao-report-finds/

About the Author

Ginger Hill is Group Social Media Manager.

Featured

New Products

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.