NEWSWIRE
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Security breach highlights needed improvements in TSA employee screening |
12.02.2008 
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ORLANDO, Fla.--The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General released a report acknowledging a March 2007 security breach at the Orlando International Airport, which involved TSA employees smuggling 14 firearms and eight pounds of marijuana aboard a commercial flight. In the report, the DHS makes six recommendations to improve employee screening at the airport and "address vulnerabilities associated with the 'insider threat' highlighted by the March 5, 2007 incident."
According to the report, improvements include the implementation of two random and deterrent-based screening programs: the Aviation Direct Access Screening Program, which includes checking passenger ID and boarding passes, and screening luggage at the gate, and the Visible Intermodal Protection and Response Program, a combination of Federal Air Marshals, explosive-detection canine teams, aviation security inspectors and TSA officers who provide a random screening. In addition, the TSA started conducting assessments of airport employees to assess whether workers have ties to terrorism or are in violation of immigration and admissibility laws.
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Immediately following the incident, the Orlando Aviation Authority mandated that all employees with planeside access undergo screening.
The report also addressed the feasibility of 100-percent employee screening, which the TSA is currently evaluating in pilot programs at three major airports around the country. According to the report, before a decision can be made regarding 100-percent screening, the "TSA needs improvements in its ability to obtain and maintain situational awareness of incidents, as well as updating its regulatory framework that governs airport employee conduct."
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