Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

All of the threads I read about the TSA on here are from a while ago with not so pleasant views towards the agency. Since the Dec. 25'th attempt, I am curious to hear updated opinions, if changed, about the: performance, regulations, rules and general thoughts about the TSA.

There is a front-page newspaper article out today about how the TSA threatened sanctions against the Richmond, VA airport - because the airport didn't want to issue an "all access" badge to a employee the TSA had hired who was a felon.

Does that answer your question?

Article. (http://www2.wsls.com/sls/news/state_regional/article/tsa_orders_richmond_airport_to_give_security_clear ance_to_felon/79015/)


TSA orders Richmond airport to give security clearance to felon

Peter Bacque
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Published: February 4, 2010

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration insisted that Richmond International Airport issue its highest-level security clearance to a TSA security officer with a felony conviction for robbery.

The current employee was 17 years old when he committed the crime and 18 when convicted. The TSA said such juvenile adjudications do not bar people from employment.

The airport would not identify the TSA employee nor reveal his age. The employee did not divulge on his application—though a records check last fall did—that he had been found guilty of robbery within the past 10 years.

The federal agency’s demand that RIC issue the “security identification display area” badge came despite the fact that Richmond International’s TSA-approved security program prohibits issuing security badges to people convicted of any disqualifying crimes.

“It is unconscionable . . . that a 17year-old person, who committed and was found guilty of a terrible crime, would be hired and works the front line of airport security,“ said Jon Mathiasen, RIC’s president and CEO, in a letter to the TSA on Jan. 18.

The federal agency declined to comment yesterday.

The Transportation Security Administration threatened the airport with unspecified consequences, Mathiasen said, unless RIC agreed to issue the badge to the employee.

Faced with the TSA’s demands “and against its own prudent judgment,“ the Capital Region Airport Commission, which owns and operates RIC, issued the access credentials to the federal employee late last year.

“I am outraged that in this time of national-security challenges, TSA required RIC to issue the badge,“ U.S. Rep. Eric I. Cantor, R-7th, wrote the TSA’s acting administrator, Gale Rossides, yesterday.

“These actions by TSA defy common sense,“ Cantor said. “This is a matter of national security, and our citizens deserve better.“

About 3.3 million air travelers will fly into and out of Richmond International this year.

RIC grants access to parts of the airport to more than 2,000 people: government officials, airline employees, air cargo workers, service contractors, general aviation company employees, construction workers and military service members.

“Security identification display area” badges allow their holders unescorted access to secured areas, including airliner parking and luggage holding areas.

The airport has denied access credentials to employees of tenants and the commission itself when checks turned up disqualifying convictions, Mathiasen said. “In the commission’s case, if we’re not able to issue them a badge, then they don’t work for us.“

TSA employs about 200 people at the airport in eastern Henrico County.

Transportation security officers’ duties include handling the security screening of passengers to prevent weapons and dangerous material from being taken onto an airliner, and participating in briefings concerning security-sensitive or classified information.

The jobs pay from $25,141 to $43,357 a year.

The Transportation Security Administration rejected Mathiasen’s contention that the federal agency was hiring felons for some of the most sensitive security positions in the country.

“This is simply not the case,“ Margot F. Bester, the TSA’s principal deputy chief counsel, told Mathiasen in a Jan. 12 letter.

“Our [transportation security officers] are highly motivated and talented individuals who have come from law enforcement, the military, the business community or out of retirement following 9/11 to make air travel secure for the American people,“ Bester said.

Last fall, the Capital Region Airport Commission did a fingerprint and criminal history records check on the TSA employee who was seeking an upgraded security badge. “Security identification display area” badges allow their holders unescorted access to secured areas, including airliner parking and luggage holding areas.

Based on its security program, RIC denied the request. The TSA, however, said the airport had to issue the credentials because the employee met the federal agency’s hiring standards.

“In a post 9/11 world,“ Cantor said, “I believe those who are hired with the clear mandate to ensure the safety of our nation’s airports must be held to a higher standard.“

Remind me never to fly out of the Richmond airport.

All of the threads I read about the TSA on here are from a while ago with not so pleasant views towards the agency. Since the Dec. 25'th attempt, I am curious to hear updated opinions, if changed, about the: performance, regulations, rules and general thoughts about the TSA.

My opinions have not changed, actually have only gotten worse since you mention it. It's sad.

I thought the private security people (Wachenhut, here) pre TSA did a better job and were more reliable and honest. They were definitely screened better and had to do a good job. They didn't have the job security federal civil service offers.

It is what it has always been: A federal jobs program/unionization effort that was used to appease democrats in congress when all the real terror fighting legislation was being passed.

And it had the predicted effect: employees got paid more, worked less and got dumber than the people they replaced. But theres a lot more of them now if that makes you feel "safer."

George Carlin said it best, "it's a waste of money, and it's there for only one reason: to make white people feel safe." Not to say I haven't met some good people with TSA (particularly in the Air Marshal community), but any system of screening that is based on zero-tolerance policies (like screening old women in walkers and toddlers as thoroughly as an adult man) is a smoke screen operation.

I think the Isrealis system of extensive behavioral observations is a much more reasonable approach to stopping terrorism, but many in America are more interested in their own privacy than whether a plane they're on will blow up.

I did a stint for them at the start of my fed career back in 2002.
In the beginning TSA was a good thought.
BUT after the ACLU, numerous agency attorneys and
the absolutely horrible people they hired to perform the screening it went to H@LL quickly. The agency actually treated the flunkie's they hired to screen passengers very badly too. I saw many people leave for the way the agency sh@# on them.

Even most people I knew in suit and tie management left for greener pastures.

The only ones who stayed were the USSS retire'e double dippers in HQ/TSOC management.:lol:

No matter how many ETD's, Xray's, WTMD's, Puffers, BDO's whatever the program and the uniform of the month is...I have counted four changes since 2002..LMMFAO :biggrinjester:

It is what it is.....A failed program....:nonod:

Add insult and injury by mocking LEO's since the screeners have Gold badges and creds now...What a disgusting joke....

I jump off my soapbox now:rant:
Just the 2 cents worth from a humble man......

My opinion of TSA before was not very high at all, afterward it pretty much remains the same. I have known some really good folks that work for TSA, unfortunately they only make up about 2-3% of TSA from what I have seen.

As for the way screenings are done...if you are TRULY concerned about safety then being politically correct is so low on the list that you don't worry about it; but since old ladies get pulled to the side for screening, a Medal of Honor gets passed around as something "dangerous" after taking it from its 84 year old recipient, and behavioral and historical profiles are ignored in favor of not offending anyone....well I just don't feel like it's effective.

In regards to the TSA organization. I think it was probably better off staying privatized but having more government oversight of the companies through the use of qualified evaluators, background checks, and standardized blocks of training (instead of taking over the entire job in a huge cluster resulting in hiring everyone regardless of background and spiking the pay up for the government to write a check for).

But besides all of that, I don't have an opinion either way...

I didnt mind TSA much until the last 3-times Ive flown.

Ive had stuff stolen, been overly hassled, and had expsenive electronic equipment slung around like it was a pair of socks.

On a side note, I never have had an issue when it was contract security companies providing the services.

In regards to the TSA organization. I think it was probably better off staying privatized but having more government oversight of the companies through the use of qualified evaluators, background checks, and standardized blocks of training (instead of taking over the entire job in a huge cluster resulting in hiring everyone regardless of background and spiking the pay up for the government to write a check for).

You gotta remember, too, this is the same government that spent billions of dollars to form a counter-terrorism cabinet-level super agency (Dept of Homeland Security), and then after spending all this money and reorganizing dozens and dozens of federal agencies, said, "You know, let's just keep terrorism investigations with the FBI who's been doing it all along." In this light, kinda makes sense why TSA is what it is. Smoke and mirrors.

I think the Isrealis system of extensive behavioral observations is a much more reasonable approach to stopping terrorism, but many in America are more interested in their own privacy than whether a plane they're on will blow up.

I agree 100%. This wouldn't happen though, like you said, Americans are more interested in their privacy. The agency would have to replace 90% of it's workforce to employ much more proficient and educated/qualified personnel. I think the Israelis are all armed as well?


I did a stint for them at the start of my fed career back in 2002.
In the beginning TSA was a good thought.
BUT after the ACLU, numerous agency attorneys and
the absolutely horrible people they hired to perform the screening it went to H@LL quickly. The agency actually treated the flunkie's they hired to screen passengers very badly too. I saw many people leave for the way the agency sh@# on them.

When I was hired, I knew nothing of the bad rep the agency had. I like to consider myself the 2-3% that Wolfman was talking about. It is amazing how some people passed their two year probationary period. While I can agree with all of the above posts, I'm happy to have a job in this economy, regardless if I'm part of a smoke and mirror operation.

I agree 100%. This wouldn't happen though, like you said, Americans are more interested in their privacy. The agency would have to replace 90% of it's workforce to employ much more proficient and educated/qualified personnel. I think the Israelis are all armed as well?


Israel has their act together. I have had training with the Mossad guys and have always been super impressed. They understand the gravity of the situation their country is in and act accordingly.

In Israel, they actually encourage and in some cases require their soldiers to carry weapons and remain armed wherever they go. Now take that thought, and look at what we do to our military. We allow them to walk around armed and take care of each other all over Iraq and Afghanistan. Bring them home, and they are stripped of their weapons and have everything accounted for like they are suspects.

Do you think the Ft. Hood attack would have gone down like it did if they were allowed to remain armed? :banghead:

Now the TSA has average American's being treated like cattle, and still people are getting onto planes trying to set their underwear on fire.

Put me in the group of not surprised and extremely disappointed. PC Culture is killing my country! :cuss:

When I was hired, I knew nothing of the bad rep the agency had. I like to consider myself the 2-3% that Wolfman was talking about. It is amazing how some people passed their two year probationary period. While I can agree with all of the above posts, I'm happy to have a job in this economy, regardless if I'm part of a smoke and mirror operation.

Did you live in a cave before hired? j/k :biggrinjester:

Just remember, nothing said here is a personal attack on you, but rather a telling of how the system is and the policies TSA puts out. While some screeners are better than others (some a great and others are terrible), the organization as a whole is broken, which serves as just another example of why many Americans do not want the USG running their healthcare... but that's a whole other can of worms.

Did you live in a cave before hired? j/k :biggrinjester:

Just remember, nothing said here is a personal attack on you, but rather a telling of how the system is and the policies TSA puts out. While some screeners are better than others (some a great and others are terrible), the organization as a whole is broken, which serves as just another example of why many Americans do not want the USG running their healthcare... but that's a whole other can of worms.

I was young(er) and not particularly interested I guess... yeah, i'll go with that.

And I know nothing was a personal attack on me. Hell, I agreed with everything that was said. :yesnod:

George Carlin said it best, "it's a waste of money, and it's there for only one reason: to make white people feel safe." Not to say I haven't met some good people with TSA (particularly in the Air Marshal community), but any system of screening that is based on zero-tolerance policies (like screening old women in walkers and toddlers as thoroughly as an adult man) is a smoke screen operation.

I think the Isrealis system of extensive behavioral observations is a much more reasonable approach to stopping terrorism, but many in America are more interested in their own privacy than whether a plane they're on will blow up.



I agree the Israeli’s system is far superior to how the United States approaches airline security. However, the comparison is a bit unfair. The whole country of Israel is slightly bigger than New Jersey. Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel’s biggest airport, serviced 11,550,433 passengers in 2008, which is about the size of Sacramento regional airport. JFK Airport, serviced 47,807,816 passengers in 2008. That is only one airport in the US and not even taking cargo into the equation. I don’t think that the Israeli model will work on the scale that the United States has to deal with though I wish it could.

FB

Wish to understand a great deal and have a pleasant experience here!
my regards guys!

Add insult and injury by mocking LEO's since the screeners have Gold badges and creds now...What a disgusting joke....

I jump off my soapbox now:rant:
Just the 2 cents worth from a humble man......

Mock WHO? Last time I looked, I'm the one with the GUN. Badges! I don't need no stinkin Badges...

Mock WHO? Last time I looked, I'm the one with the GUN. Badges! I don't need no stinkin Badges...

He is in Virgina Bash. Down thre things are difefrent. He doesn't understadnthat everyone up here has badges from building inspectors to fireman and that the COPS had SHIELDS! LOL...

TSA is like David Copperfield....a magic act. Many are right. That place had potential to be a great agency. Then they stopped hiring retired cops or former military. You get what you pay for. The U.S. Government should have deemed flying a national security issue and placed a federal police force at each airport. Local and current cops handle from the parking lot to the start of the screening area, the feds handle from the screening area to the edge of the runway. And you rotate through posts, so nobody gets stuck screening all shift. You teach behavior focused techniques. But nope, we hired the bottom of the socioeconomic pit and place them on the front lines.

Stop wasting money on arming pilots. You are giving a guy/gal a gun to sit behind an armored door that can only be opended from the inside. DUMB. DUMB. DUMB. It will be impossible for them to ever use their weapon. Any airliner in the US can be on the ground withn 15 minutes. That door will not come down in 15 minutes unless you have tools and torches that you are not getting on a plane. SO why do it? We'll just do smoke and mirrors. The American public will never know.

Its not a matter of if, but when. We haven't learned anything yet.

He is in Virgina Bash. Down thre things are difefrent. He doesn't understadnthat everyone up here has badges from building inspectors to fireman and that the COPS had SHIELDS! LOL...

TSA is like David Copperfield....a magic act. Many are right. That place had potential to be a great agency. Then they stopped hiring retired cops or former military. You get what you pay for. The U.S. Government should have deemed flying a national security issue and placed a federal police force at each airport. Local and current cops handle from the parking lot to the start of the screening area, the feds handle from the screening area to the edge of the runway. And you rotate through posts, so nobody gets stuck screening all shift. You teach behavior focused techniques. But nope, we hired the bottom of the socioeconomic pit and place them on the front lines.

Stop wasting money on arming pilots. You are giving a guy/gal a gun to sit behind an armored door that can only be opended from the inside. DUMB. DUMB. DUMB. It will be impossible for them to ever use their weapon. Any airliner in the US can be on the ground withn 15 minutes. That door will not come down in 15 minutes unless you have tools and torches that you are not getting on a plane. SO why do it? We'll just do smoke and mirrors. The American public will never know.

Its not a matter of if, but when. We haven't learned anything yet.



Very sad but oh so true

I participated in the big FAM hiring initiative right after 9-11, because I was curious as to what a new agency being built from the ground up looked like. Also, because I knew a couple of people who had managed to double their salaries by going over.

And they were all going to be supervisors or academy cadre, too. In fact, every LEO I talked to was going to be a boss, an instructor, a field investigator, or a tac team operator. I was amazed. An entire airline security organization, comprised solely of guys who never got on airplanes.

The initiative took place in a hotel/conference center in southern New Jersey. I was impressed by how efficient the applicant processing was (I later learned it was run by a private corporate consulting firm, hired by the government).

But I was troubled by what I learned about the FAM Service itself. Questions were answered with 'That's still being worked out', a phrase which took on a hollow ring over the days of the application process. Basic things, like duties, SOPs, training, 1811 status-- it was all being 'worked out'.

In the end, they came up with an impressive salary offer, but I had to turn it down. Conversations with my friends who had gone over showed me the cracks in the foundation that have since grown into the canyons we see today. And that was before the Secret Squirrels came in and steered the whole mess straight into an iceberg.

I know one guy who still works there, because he burned his bridges with the USMS and couldn't come back when all those other guys did. He's basically suicidal.

But it all looked so promising. Like airline security today, it was a great piece of theater.

When I was in the Army we used to say, "There's nothing more dangerous than a PFC with a clipboard". That clipboard seems to give him all sorts of authority.

TSA reminds me of a whole bunch of PFC's running around with clipboards.

When I was in the Army we used to say, "There's nothing more dangerous than a PFC with a clipboard". That clipboard seems to give him all sorts of authority.

TSA reminds me of a whole bunch of PFC's running around with clipboards.

Sgt,

You just made me chuckle. My wifes grandfather who was in WWII and retired from the U.S. Army said this all the time, especally in his last few days at the hospital as numerous folks came in with the clipboard (he did change PFC to idiot). How true it is!

When I was in the Army we used to say, "There's nothing more dangerous than a PFC with a clipboard". That clipboard seems to give him all sorts of authority.

TSA reminds me of a whole bunch of PFC's running around with clipboards.

I thought the most dangerous thing was a 2nd Lt. with a map that says "in my experience..." :thumbsup:

I thought the most dangerous thing was a 2nd Lt. with a map that says "in my experience..." :thumbsup:

It was always a toss up! Actually, a map in the hands of a 2nd Lt. was always dangerous! But I used to believe that a PFC with a clipboard could go anywhere he wanted in the Pentagon and no one would challenge him.....

I participated in the big FAM hiring initiative right after 9-11, because I was curious as to what a new agency being built from the ground up looked like. Also, because I knew a couple of people who had managed to double their salaries by going over.

And they were all going to be supervisors or academy cadre, too. In fact, every LEO I talked to was going to be a boss, an instructor, a field investigator, or a tac team operator. I was amazed. An entire airline security organization, comprised solely of guys who never got on airplanes.

The initiative took place in a hotel/conference center in southern New Jersey. I was impressed by how efficient the applicant processing was (I later learned it was run by a private corporate consulting firm, hired by the government).

But I was troubled by what I learned about the FAM Service itself. Questions were answered with 'That's still being worked out', a phrase which took on a hollow ring over the days of the application process. Basic things, like duties, SOPs, training, 1811 status-- it was all being 'worked out'.

In the end, they came up with an impressive salary offer, but I had to turn it down. Conversations with my friends who had gone over showed me the cracks in the foundation that have since grown into the canyons we see today. And that was before the Secret Squirrels came in and steered the whole mess straight into an iceberg.

I know one guy who still works there, because he burned his bridges with the USMS and couldn't come back when all those other guys did. He's basically suicidal.

But it all looked so promising. Like airline security today, it was a great piece of theater.

We almost jumped on the same boat. I got the offer to go to NJ for the interview but decided if I was going to leave USBP it was going to be for a 1811 spot. Like you and many others I'm really glad I didn't go to the FAMS. I know about 5 guys who went over to the FAMS and were fired for whatever reason.

One of the things that's caused some problems is the FAMS who came back to USBP. I don't know how it is with the 1811 but the USBP guys who left mostly left as GS-9's. When they came back they came back as GS-11 step 10's. They jumped ship & then found out things with USBP really wern't that bad so they came back and got a huge pay raise for it. That pissed off a lot of people, as most of us were around the GS-11 step 4 area. What would it take me to get up to a step 10? like another 15 years?

...and general thoughts about the TSA.



I have regular interaction with TSA screeners at various airports in the U.S. since I'm an airline pilot. Most all of the time they are very professional when dealt with on an individual basis. The only thing that seems odd is that many will be standing around appearing to be doing nothing while lines of passengers and aircrew accumulate at the regular security check points...it seems another screening lane (or lanes) could be opened up utilizing these screeners that appear to be standing around. Who knows...I guess I don't have the big picture. Also, I have been approached by a dozen or so TSA screeners who were checking company IDs at employee only airport entrances. How many TSA screeners does it take to verify an ID? A dozen seems to be a little high. Again...I guess I don't have the big picture...but just from regular observations, it appears that there are a whole bunch of TSA screeners who are not being efficiently utilized.

I have regular interaction with TSA screeners at various airports in the U.S. since I'm an airline pilot. Most all of the time they are very professional when dealt with on an individual basis. The only thing that seems odd is that many will be standing around appearing to be doing nothing while lines of passengers and aircrew accumulate at the regular security check points...it seems another screening lane (or lanes) could be opened up utilizing these screeners that appear to be standing around. Who knows...I guess I don't have the big picture. Also, I have been approached by a dozen or so TSA screeners who were checking company IDs at employee only airport entrances. How many TSA screeners does it take to verify an ID? A dozen seems to be a little high. Again...I guess I don't have the big picture...but just from regular observations, it appears that there are a whole bunch of TSA screeners who are not being efficiently utilized.

TSA = Thousands Standing Around

One of the things that bothers me are these TSA locks on luggage that you have to have. I'd be willing to bet that by now everybody and their dog has keys to them.

A local TV reporter here flew around the country with various valuable electronic gear such as laptops, etc. in his checked luggage. After making about 15 different flights, he'd had several thousand dollars worth of stuff stolen from that luggage.

I have no idea why, but it was only a one days story on their news broadcast which seemed strange to me. I think it should have been all over the national news.

About once a year, you hear about some TSA employee at PDX getting busted for stealing from an airline customer just going through the screening lines. I suspect there are a lot more cases that we never hear about and even more where they don't get caught.

One of the things that bothers me are these TSA locks on luggage that you have to have. I'd be willing to bet that by now everybody and their dog has keys to them.

A local TV reporter here flew around the country with various valuable electronic gear such as laptops, etc. in his checked luggage. After making about 15 different flights, he'd had several thousand dollars worth of stuff stolen from that luggage.

I have no idea why, but it was only a one days story on their news broadcast which seemed strange to me. I think it should have been all over the national news.

About once a year, you hear about some TSA employee at PDX getting busted for stealing from an airline customer just going through the screening lines. I suspect there are a lot more cases that we never hear about and even more where they don't get caught.

I was just talking to my wife about that. We are getting ready for a big vacation and she wanted to get luggage locks so she could check her laptop. After I got done laughing, I said I would carry the computers personally if I have to.

Last week I saw a female in Atlanta that was screening who had these HUGE fingernails with what looked like a mural painted on them. She was slow and bitchy. At least it was over the top ironic, and most of the passengers were amused by her antics. Seriously, I don't know how she opens her car door...much less searches luggage. :smilielol5: