Airport security is extremely essential for stopping terrorism in the United States. Bombings and explosions account for 65% of terrorist attacks, armed assaults account for 25% of terrorist attacks, the last 10% accounts for assassination facility attacks and hostage takings. Today the Transportation Security Administration, also know as the TSA, has four to five thousand employees working every day to keep airports safe from a terrorist attack happening. New technology has made airports safer for travelers, nevertheless not all travelers think it is necessary. Some travelers complain that because of the new security systems in the baggage checks and body scanners it takes too long to get to the flight. These passengers do not understand that airport security is effective and there are less terrorist attacks due to advanced technology and the TSA strengthening security of the nations transportation system.
September 11th, 2001 was a genuinely important day in history. On that day a terrorist group called Al-Queda hijacked four different commercial airliners, New York City and Washington D.C. Two airliners were sent to New York City and flew into the Twin Towers. One airplane was sent to Washington D.C to hit the Pentagon. The last airliner was on route to attack the White House but fortunately did not. That airliner went down in a field in Pennsylvania (Roulo, 2013). The Transportation Security Administration was created in response to the event that occurred on September 11th, 2001.
The Transportation Security Administration is part of the agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security. It was also created as part of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act. Since the Transportation Security Administration ...
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After 9/11 there was a great increase in security nationwide. One major example of this is the number of agencies created as a result of 9/11. Among these agencies include the creation of the TSA (Transportation Security Administration), the DHS (The Department of Homeland Security), the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), and lastly the massive advancement of the US Coast Guard. Every one of the budgets of these agencies has doubled since 9/11. The creation of the transportation and security administrations primary goal is to improve the safety of all American Citizens traveling by plane. The TSA started implementing, new policies and new technological advancements.
As the 19 hijackers made their way through the three East coast airports, on September 11, 2001, planning on executing the world’s worst terrorist attack in history, they test the U.S airport security. At almost every step along the way, airport security posed no challenge to the 19 terrorist hijackers. Not to their ability to purchase tickets, to pass security checkpoints while carrying knives, and other objects that be used as weapons on them. Not one step of airport security posed as a challenge or threat to the terrorist. If airport security was more advanced and carful as it is now, the hijackers would have never made their way on to the
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After the fear of terrorism grew in the United States do to the Al Qaeda 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, the US Government found a need for a centralized department that umbrellas all other agencies when it comes to homeland security. The U.S. Government found this umbrella agency with the passage of the Homeland Security Act by Congress in November 2002, the Department of Homeland Security formally came into being as a stand-alone, Cabinet-level department to further coordinate and unify national homeland security efforts. (Homeland Security) With the creation of the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) the government had a pinpoint location for the collection and gathering of intelligence, control of policies that effect national security, and a no fail mission. The Department of Homeland Security started to engulf other agencies and created many more, a total of 22 agencies now fall under the DHS. The DHS is control of all areas that deal with national security which included but are not limited to coastal and boarder protection, domestic terrorism, international terrorism, protection of the American people, protection of key infrastructure, protection of key resources and respond to natural disasters.
“What time should we leave? Two hours in advance? Three? Four?” Millions of people ask these questions each year before boarding a plane. Between driving, security, walking to the gate, and getting settled, boarding a plane exhausts travelers. But out of all of these different activities, one frustrates and restrains travelers the most: TSA security. People ask why they need all this security, complain about the inconvenience it causes, and ultimately annoys people to no end. Created after 9/11, Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, nationalized airport security, increased screening duration, and supposedly increases security on flights. However, statistics say these added security measures never come to fruition and potentially cost more lives than they save.
To help insure that no other terrorist attack happens again, the government funded a new agency called the Department of Homeland Security. Under the Department of Homeland Security is a branch called the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The TSA was established to make sure that no one carried weapons aboard an aircraft for terrorism related uses. When the TSA was established they realized that security was very weak, and could use new machines to help screen for weapons. The government funded the TSA to install new state of the art screeners, to help insure that nothing like 9/11 ever happens again. Thankfully, the TSA has prevented any further attacks, on American
Before the dreaded day of September 11, 2001, a person or persons flying could be escorted to their gate by family members and loved ones. The thought that a gun would or could be brought on board of an airplane and used as a means to hijack an airplane never crossed a passenger’s mind. Isaac Yeffet said, “After Lockerbie, everyone thought; now we’ve learned the lesson of how to be proactive instead of being reactive. Unfortunately, September 11 came and we know the result. Thousands of people lost their lives. Security totally failed, not at one airport, at three different airports around the country.” Due to the terrorist attacks on 9/11, the United States government decided airport security needed to be updated and become more stringent. These updates included a formation of TSA and Sky Marshalls, tighter security measures, and policy changes.
Elias, Bartholomew. "Aviation Security: Outlook." Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 2 May 2014.
As a response to the 9/11 attacks, one would expect that the TSA would improve airport security. In reality, it's just security theater. Originally, the use of metal detectors and luggage x-rays in airport security checkpoints was enough. However, on December 25, 2009, an inbound international flight was the target of an attempted bomb plot. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab got past security screening and successfully boarded the plane with explosives packed in his underwear. He nearly succeeded in detonating the bomb, but the detonation didn't go as planned and passengers overpowered him before he could fix the detonation[0]. As a result, the TSA increased the use of full-body scanners to replace metal detectors. Before the 2009 attack, there were only 40 full-body scanners in use across 19 airports. After the attack, the government planned to have over 1000 machines in use by the end of 2011. However, the expensive machines are ineffective. In 2010, TV personality Adam Savage unintentionally managed to get two 12" long razor blades through security[1]. In 2011, an undercover TSA agent was able to successfully pass through the scanners with a handgun in her underwear, repeatedly[2]. The TSA is clearly incapable of creating a truly safe airport checkpoint, and is becoming less effective the longe...
The United States spends billions on transportation safety to prevent terrorist or any type of attack on American citizens. Airport security are one of the major problems that the government faces, and the solution is the TSA, also known as the Transportation Security Administration. Passengers believe the TSA is effective in abolishing problems such as terrorism, however, this is not the case. Airport security is not effectively protecting the passengers which is shown through the negligence and violations of the TSA employees, ineffective profiling techniques used by the TSA, and unqualified workers that are placed to protect citizens.
Sperry, Paul. "Know Your Rights at Airport Checkpoints." Worldnetdaily. 9 January 2002, 15 Oct. 2002 http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/printer-friendly.asp?ARTICLE_ID=25974
The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2011 prompted the world to reevaluate and drastically modify airport and airline security. “Four targets had been chosen, all iconic American buildings that would send a clear message of the depth of their hatred for the United States. All four planes crashed, killing all on board—terrorists, crew members, and passengers, along with hundreds who were killed inside the structures, on the ground, and the men and women who ran into collapsing buildings in an effort to try and save others” (Smutz 1). As Jason Villemez said “the decade after the 9/11 attacks reshaped many facets of life in America” (Villemez 1). Before the attacks, people did not think that large scale hostility towards innocent people in our country was remotely possible. Ever since that fateful moment, citizens in America are on their toes every day worrying about another attack happening. United States citizens have had to adapt and change in response to this fear of further terrorist assault on our country. One of the ways they have adapted is by changing their means of security concerning airline travel.
BENAC, N. (2011). National security: Ten years after september 11 attacks, u.s. is safe but not
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
“Airport Security.” Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 13 January. 2014.