After the events of 09/11/2001 the Department of Homeland security was founded and within the department fell a new agency known as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The TSA was instructed to secure all modes of transportation and they committee was instructed that they wanted to see result soon. Additionally the Aviation and Transportation Security Act required the screening of passengers, cargo and luggage for explosives as the primary priority. Even though the TSA is charged with the transportation security the primary focus has been Airport security. Long lines, arriving two hours early to your flight are all after effects of improved security. Are these security measures worth the waits and inconvenient or should things go back to the way they were prior to 9/11. The true question is what is worth your piece of mind when your family and friends are flying to see you, domestically and international?
The importance of the TSA in security can be seen on a daily basis, even though this security comes at a price. Majority of the time the lines move smoothly and delays are caused by passengers who rush and fail to follow the rules. This week alone 37 Firearms were discovered, of the 37 firearms, 34 were loaded and 15 had rounds chambered. (Transportation Security Administration, 2014) These are dangers items that we don’t know the intent of the passengers. If you look back at the events of 9/11 lesser weapons (box cutters) were used by the hijackers to take over the plan, fear is a powerful tool. The TSA has used multiple detection systems which assist with detection of these items which include but not limited to body scanners, chemical scanners (which detection gun power ingredients), metal detectors ...
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...t actions, a loaded gun on a airplane, with a round in the chamber is a dangerous situation that has been avoided
Works Cited
Gaines, L. K., & Kappeler, V. E. (2012). Homeland Security. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Mead, H. K. (2002, June 22). Office of the Inspector General. Retrieved Feb 12, 2014, from US Department of Transportation: http://www2.oig.dot.gov/sites/dot/files/pdfdocs/cc2002180.pdf
Nixion, R. (2013, AUG 5). T.S.A. Expands Duties Beyond Airport Secuirty. New York Times .
Office of Personnel Management. (2014). Transportation Secuirty Officer. Retrieved FEB 12, 2014, from USA Jobs: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/351317900
Transportation Security Administration. (2014, FEB 07). The TSA Blog: TSA Week in Review . Retrieved 02 12, 2014, from Transporation Secuity Administration: http://blog.tsa.gov/2014/02/tsa-week-in-review-37-firearms.html
One of the first new pieces of technology the TSA introduced were better screeners. A new screener known as AIT or Advance imaging technology has been created to counteract items that may have been hidden from site or...
Many Americans are now applying for a license to carry licensed concealed arms with them. The rate at which licenses are being approved is worrying. This development is concerning law enforcement authorities. Putting so many firearms at the disposal of the public is counterproductive to the gains that are being made on improving security and especially in the cities where incidences of gun crime and violence are on the rise.
Since 9/11 there have been nine major security changes at airports. The most important changes are the liquid ban, which bans liquids more than 3.4 ounces from being on an airplane and the body-scan machines along with the enhanced pat downs. (Seaney 1)l/ The body scan machines are x-ray machines that scan the person for anything that could be used as a weapon. Enhanced pat downs are violating to some people as they do not like their private areas searched for weapons. But these pat downs are necessary to detect, find, and remove weapons that a TSA (Transportation Security Administration) agent cannot see with their own eyes. The last important change worth mentioning is that all special items including laptops, tablets, E-readers, and all electronic items have to be checked for explosives and other threats. These changes as well as other minor regulations for passengers give the TSA an extra line of defense while screening air travelers.
“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.
The airport full body scanners “costs about $170,000 a unit” so that shows you that the airports are willing to spend millions of dollars to prevent another attack. These scanners present a three dimensional image of your body so the operator can see what objects are under your clothing. “In Tulsa, people will have to stand facing the scanner and raise their hands. Faces are blurred. In a separate monitoring area, pictures are evaluated.”3 People were complaining that the scanners were revealing to much of their body to the operator so “The TSA no longer uses the backscatter scanners that produced near-naked images of
At many airports across the country, passengers are sharply greeted with the hassle and headache generated by the long security lines. Many travelers complain of the continuing list of rules they have to observe and how they seem to get persistently worse. The government’s solution to the hassle and headache is full-body scanners. The government claims these full-body scanners are faster to go through versus the traditional metal detector, detect weapons and bombs easier, and reduce the stress of the long security lines. In the past, airport security has not been fully successful in protecting the country from terrorists. As a result, many terrorists without being detected are escaping and are free to pursue their assault on America. Having full-body scanners will allow for less time in security, easier detection of terrorists, and will help to protect the United States.
There has always been controversy as to whether pat-downs and body scans should be used in airports to ensure passenger safety. In airports, the security should be allowed to use pat-downs and body scans. Using pat-downs and body scans at airports are beneficial if you have nothing to hide, determines threats better than looks, and prevents plane bombings; however, scanners also send a message that everyone is at terrorist risk, they emit radiation to people, and they violate right to privacy.
Many travelers and passengers wonder and question what responsibilities are assumed by TSA and what TSA members actually do. R...
Government-operated system of administering airport security, versus privately owned and operated, contracted airport security organizations have proved to be less efficient and effective for airports, passengers, and airline companies in the aviation industry. Factors such as the September 11th terrorist attacks have resulted in the creation of the Transportation Security Administration as it is been established by the government to control all airport security. A look into how San Francisco International Airport’s ability to remain secure while utilizing a private security company under contract with the federal government has shown to be efficient, cost-worthy, and effective for many airports. Returning to privately operated airport security throughout the country while regulated by the Transportation Security Administration shows great possibilities for all airports that want to follow suit.
The gate agent’s job appears to be a balancing act between the safety of each passenger and the inconvenience of the process they must undergo to ensure that safety. Agent Ludo Sanchez was part of the first wave of those hired after the Trade Center event. He applied for the TSA position out of a sense of patriotism as soon as he became aware that there was a need. Also, in Sanchez’s defense, on the day of the incident, as soon as he was notified that his area had been breeched, he immediately began “the standard procedures for securing the area, and sealing the terminal from further passenger traffic” (p. 6).
This type of screening was performed by a private organizations, who were hired by the airline that held the operation control over certain airline terminals based on a type of complicated competitive bidding process (“Introduction to US Airport Security”).
There are many who believe that the TSA is effective, according to Gallup Poll, 54 percent of Americans believe the TSA has been successfully and effectively doing their job. Similarly, 41 percent claim that "TSA is extremely or very effective at preventing attacks on U.S. airplanes" (Politico) while 30 percent of Americans say the TSA has been reasonably effective, as a result, confirming that most Americans do believe the TSA has been effective to a degree. Supporters of the current TSA argue that new techniques are being taught and updated , such as SPOT (Transportation Security Administration's Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques), for upmost performance of the TSA. The TSA continues to advance in order to protect the citizens of the United States. Airport security has new technological advances separate of the skills taught to TSA and airport security such as the full body scanners and explosive detection systems and even to the extent of checking shoes and belts. However, the opinions of average Americans, newly developed profiling techniques, and improved technology does n...
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.
Numerous pilots bolster the thought of being armed, there is really a union of pilots that need to be equipped comprising of more than 67,000 individuals. This union gave a suggestion that would permit pilots to deliberately convey weapons with them; be that as it may, to do this they will need to experience mental testing, record verifications, and broad guns preparation. This is the right approach to go, in light of the fact that this will make everybody upbeat. It will permit the individuals who need to be armed equipped and those that do not need to stress over experiencing additional systems. The most vital part of this is the mental testing, it will add additional security measures to ensure that a pilot does not have a mental breakdown and choose to begin murdering everybody on the plane. The proposition likewise expresses that the guns will be equipped with projectiles that that are made of gentler metal, so when they hit a harder surface they will smash so it won't hurt the structure of the
There is nothing wrong about protecting yourself, but we have to make sure that the weapons we use to protect ourselves don 't get to the wrong people. " The debate about gun control is a global issue. However, it is more intense in the United States of America than any other region (‘Gun Control’ par 1). The groups against gun control show concern about violent crime and they don’t perceive gun control is the answer to violence committed using guns. However, they support strict laws against gun-related crimes and better enforcement of those laws. On the other hand, those who support gun control are of the opinion that background checks are