Aviation Security Efforts To Measure Effectiveness And Address Challenges

Aviation Security: Efforts to Measure Effectiveness and Address Challenges

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent agency that works for Congress. The GAO watches over Congress, and investigates how the federal government spends taxpayers dollars. The Comptroller General of the United States is the leader of the GAO, and is appointed to a 15-year term by the U.S. President. The GAO wants to support Congress, while at the same time doing right by the citizens of the United States. They audit, investigate, perform analyses, issue legal decisions and report anything that the government is doing. This is one of their reports.

The Transportation Security Admin. (TSA) funding for aviation security has totaled about $26 billion since FY 2004. This testimony focuses on TSA¿s efforts to secure the commercial aviation system through passenger screening, air cargo, and watch-list matching programs, and challenges remaining in these areas. This testimony also addresses TSA¿s progress in developing the Secure Flight program, based on work conducted from Aug. 2007 to Jan. 2008. Includes recommendations. Charts and tables.

"To enhance aviation security, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) began initial testing in October 2003 of its Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques (SPOT) program. Behavior Detection Officers (BDO) carry out SPOT's mission to identify persons who pose a risk to aviation security by focusing on behavioral and appearance indicators. GAO was asked to review the SPOT program. GAO analyzed (1) the extent to which TSA validated the SPOT program before deployment, (2) implementation challenges, and (3) the extent to which TSA measures SPOT's effect on aviation security. GAO analyzed TSA documents, such as strategic plans and operating procedures; interviewed agency personnel and subject matter experts; and visited 15 SPOT airports, among other things. Although the results from these visits are not generalizable, they provided insights into SPOT operations."--Highlights.

Since its inception in Nov. 2001, the Transportation Security Admin. (TSA) has focused much of its efforts on aviation security, and has developed and implemented a variety of programs and procedures to secure the commercial aviation system. TSA funding for aviation security has totaled about $26 billion since FY 2004. This Congressional testimony focuses on TSA¿s efforts to secure the commercial aviation system through passenger screening, strengthening air cargo security, and watch-list matching programs, as well as challenges that remain. It also addresses crosscutting issues that have impeded TSA¿s efforts in strengthening security. Includes recommendations. Illustrations.

Since its inception, the Transportation Security Admin. (TSA) has focused much of its efforts on aviation security, and has developed and implemented a variety of programs and procedures to secure commercial aviation. More recently, TSA has taken actions to secure the nation's surface transportation modes. TSA funding for aviation security has totaled about $26 billion since FY 2004, and for surface transportation security activities, about $175 million since FY 2005. This testimony focuses on TSA¿s efforts to secure the commercial aviation system -- through passenger screening, air cargo, and watch-list matching programs -- and the nation's surface transportation modes. It also addresses challenges remaining in these areas. Ill.

The screening of airport passengers & their checked baggage is a critical component in securing our nation's commercial aviation system. This report incorporates results from a survey of 155 Federal Security Directors -- the ranking Transportation Security Admin. (TSA) authority responsible for the leadership & coordination of TSA security activities at the nation's commercial airports. This report addresses: (1) actions TSA has taken to enhance training for passenger & checked baggage screeners & screening supervisors, (2) how TSA ensures that screeners complete required training, & (3) actions TSA has taken to measure & enhance screener performance in detecting threat objects. Charts & tables.