Beautiful case in point
TSA screenings aren't just for airports anymore
Reporting from Charlotte, N.C.— Rick Vetter was rushing to board the Amtrak train in Charlotte, N.C., on a recent Sunday afternoon when a canine officer suddenly blocked the way.
Three federal air marshals in bulletproof vests and two officers trained to spot suspicious behavior watched closely as Seiko, a German shepherd, nosed Vetter's trousers for chemical traces of a bomb. Radiation detectors carried by the marshals scanned the 57-year-old lawyer for concealed nuclear materials.
When Seiko indicated a scent, his handler, Julian Swaringen, asked Vetter whether he had pets at home in Garner, N.C. Two mutts, Vetter replied. "You can go ahead," Swaringen said.
The Transportation Security Administration isn't just in airports anymore. TSA teams are increasingly conducting searches and screenings at train stations, subways, ferry terminals and other mass transit locations around the country.
"We are not the Airport Security Administration," said Ray Dineen, the air marshal in charge of the TSA office in Charlotte. "We take that transportation part seriously."
The TSA's 25 "viper" teams — for Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response — have run more than 9,300 unannounced checkpoints and other search operations in the last year. Department of Homeland Security officials have asked Congress for funding to add 12 more teams next year.
According to budget documents, the department spent $110 million in fiscal 2011 for "surface transportation security," including the TSA's viper program, and is asking for an additional $24 million next year. That compares with more than $5 billion for aviation security.
TSA officials say they have no proof that the roving viper teams have foiled any terrorist plots or thwarted any major threat to public safety. But they argue that the random nature of the searches and the presence of armed officers serve as a deterrent and bolster public confidence.
A bit more specific. The TSA cannot prove it has stopped any terrorist act since it was created. But we won't let reality get in the way of a good story.
"We have to keep them [terrorists] on edge," said Frank Cilluffo, director of the Homeland Security Policy Institute at George Washington University in Washington. "We're not going to have a permanent presence everywhere."...
Gee, feeling up 7 year olds and 90 year old women in wheel chairs really makes them scared.
A couple of the Republican candidates have said they would privatize airport security. We have just given these idiots unions. So it will be even harder to get them out of here.
Hey guys, you wanna get your jollies go back to the park in a van.
I actually don't have a real problem with the TSA doing their thing at airports. I would prefer that to a "job going to the lowest bidder" type of security arrangement. But, I have a problem with "cops" roaming public places with automatic weapons and dogs. America is not a police state still. Heading that way sure but not quite yet.
ReplyDeleteI have a problem with it because it's a lie, a bad act. It's harassing the general public making travel more difficult and not improving our security. The box cutters the 911 hijackers took on board were allowed by the FAA at the time. If we had high cost union labor checking our baggage on the morning of September 11, 2001 it would have made no difference, the Towers would be gone and 3000 Americans would still be dead. Only we would be paying a lot more money for it.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to be serious about airport security let’s take some tips from the Israeli’s and profile the terrorist. I don’t think grandmothers in a wheelchair with adult diapers are a real threat to the flying public.
And other things that really annoys me. When I was flying to/from Kuwait on a Department of Defense chartered plane I was required to put in my checked luggage my Leathreman and Swiss Army pocket knife. I was an Army major carrying a M9 9MM pistol but I had to get rid of my knife. Why you ask? You got it, TSA covers DoD charter flights even though they did not harass us coming though the airports. A good friend of mine was asked once by a clerk, “Sir, forgive me for asking but has anyone unknown to you asked you to carry on any items onto the flight?” She was embarrassed because Jim had a M9 in a shoulder holster and was carrying an M4. Truth is stranger than fiction.
And I think twice I have lost pocket knifes because I forgot to put them in my checked bags and the former basket pusher for Wal-Mart with a uniform now says “you can’t carry that on...no you can’t check it now, we have to throw it away...” In 1988 I was traveling to Korea from Japan and the security there (light years ahead of TSA) would not let me carry my Swiss Army knife on. But what did they do? Took out a small cardboard box (made for just these kind of circumstances), put the knife in it and said “Sir, it will be waiting for you in Seoul.” , and it was. Having common sense solutions like that makes the public more cooperative.
I agree with you on not having the cops and K9s walking around like that. It’s a waste of resources and for the moment this is a somewhat free country. Hopefully someone gets in office in just over a year and we start undoing the damage from the last four (and in some examples eight years prior to that) years have brought us.
Hope you had a good New Year and let's pray Napolitano doesn't go after cabs! :<)
I'm especially appalled at the way in which the American public has simply "stuck their heads in the sand" and pretended that a wholesale violation of their rights is not underway. I started http://tsawatchdog.org in November of 2010, and I've seen few comments or submissions to the site.
ReplyDeleteFor the record, I'm a lefty academic type, and I've been dismayed that a lot of the rhetoric around this issue dismisses the leftist critique of "security theatre." The truth is, violations of our Constitutional rights are not a "left" or "right" issue, but rather an American issue. The violations of the TSA is one area where I join my fellow Americans of ALL political persuasions in saying "enough is enough."
TSAWatchdog.org
One thing I certainly agree with is "profiling." I know that is non PC at this time but if it were done ten years back then this nation perhaps would not have seen that horrific day unfold (right on our television). Israel has extreme airport security measures for obvious reasons. I am not so sure that we in this country do not need them also.
ReplyDeleteOur enemy is motivated and will, it appears, use any means available in their playbook to strike. Some sort of professonall airport security I think has to be in place.
That being said, the last thing I want to see in this country is a group of lads roaming around in uniforms brandishing automatic weapons. Our citizens are used to seeing armed police officers of course but there is a difference.......A huge difference.
Hope you and yours have a safe and happy New Year and as the old SGT on Hill Street Blues used to say, "be careful out there."
@BC:
ReplyDeleteThanks and did you catch any of the games yesterday? My Saints looking great....Houston, let’ hope Tate is ok today. Man, going through four QMs and still in the playoffs. Says something about the strength of the team.
@TSA Watch Dog:
From a cop to the right of Rush Limbaugh, welcome to a lefty academic type! But we agree on this: the TSA is out of hand and you describe it well as security theater. I can see nothing the TSA has done since it’s inception to stop a single terrorist act other than put people out in paramilitary uniforms at high cost. A bus station in my patrol area has privatized security and they routinely find weapons and narcotics. Without the high union labor cost or public patdowns children.
I’l check out your site and Happy New Year!
Geaux LSU!
Geaux Saints!
Watched a bit of both teams yesterday and right now it looks like the Saints are playing really good ball. The Texans need some help. Going to be watching U of H in a few hours and hoping to see Keenum go crazy on the PSU crowd.
ReplyDeleteoh as as far as the bus station. I would not want to work private security at the big terminal. I did not even pick up people there when I owned the cab unless it was an "account trip" and I checked out the person first. Rough crowd around there.
ReplyDeleteRemember the McDonald's next to it. My mother brought my niece (her then 18 year old granddaughter) downtown and she was hungry as hell. She went to the McDonald's. After she told me I couldn't believe it. "Mom I don't go in there and I got a gun!"
ReplyDeleteLast year I had to go to New Orleans last minute and didn't want to drive or pay almost 200 buck one way on SWA. I thought about the bus for about 5 seconds. Then I remember a lot of the turds there know me and my off duty only carries 22 rounds with extra clips!
yes I have only once or twice visited that McDonlds and went through the drive through. I wouldn't work there either.
ReplyDelete