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On the 10th anniversary of Columbine, I’ve been reading Dave Cullen’s excellent book on the subject and having some insights as related to airport security. First, my personal connection to Columbine was as a Jefferson County public information officer for the Jeffco Airport at the time. All available PIO’s were sent to the site the… Continue Reading
The New York Times reported that TSA intends on replacing metal detectors will full body imagers. Despite the privacy issues, I have to agree that it’s about time. We’re still using 1970’s technology to defeat a 21st Century Threat. Oddly enough, in the 1980s and 1990s, when plastic explosives became the explosive of choice and… Continue Reading
The Denver Post reported today about the impacts of Security Directive 08F on several small commercial service airports in Colorado. To view the article, click here. DISCLOSURE: Since 08F is a Security Directive and by nature, is Sensitive Security Information, I will not divulge any information here that has not already appeared in the Denver… Continue Reading
Seems the GA community is in an uproar because some GA Fixed-Base Operators at some commercial service airports have experienced TSA’s new Playbook program. See the article here: http://www.avjobsweekly.com/enews/content.asp?bm=472 What the operators have experienced is a common anti-terrorism measure that is used by police agencies, security personnel and counterterrorism agencies throughout the world. Often known as… Continue Reading
Secure Flight was born out of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001. Initially, it was called CAPPS II but that program was scrapped due to privacy rights issues and an overall lack of focus. Reincarnated as Secure Flight, the SF program also suffered from a lack of focus but $300 million plus later,… Continue Reading
While flying through San Diego a few weeks ago I noticed that TSA has re-added an effective layer of security – the random screening of individuals as they board an aircraft. This process was initially implemented after 9/11 and is commonplace in Europe. It was eliminated as part of a so called “silly rules” reduction… Continue Reading
The passengers on United Flight 93 knew the real intent of the hijackers on their flight. With that information, they were able to take action and in all likelihood, prevented the destruction of the White House or the U.S. Capitol. Unfortunately, the Department of Homeland Security seems to be wrapped up in the over-classification of… Continue Reading
I’ve heard the term “security theater” used several times to describe the aviation security system. I’m not completely sure where or who started the term, but it’s worthy of addressing because it seems to get used by various experts and non-experts whenever the media needs a quick sound bite. But, let’s take a hard look… Continue Reading
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal (Feb 17, 2009) pointed out that the Obama Administration is considering changes to airport security procedures. The usual suspects weighed in with their opinions and I’m sure there is no lack of opinions amongst the general public about what should and should not be done with aviation… Continue Reading
A recent article in the New York Times discussed the issue of profiling. Click here for the article. Essentially, the article concluded that strong profiling is not effective at detecting malfeasors (people who want to do bad things). Therefore, why profile at all? The article also suggested an alternative mathematical method that may have more… Continue Reading