US Airport Screeners Missed 95% of Weapons, Explosives In Undercover Tests

An anonymous reader writes: An internal investigation by the TSA found that 95% of agents testing airport checkpoints were able to bring weapons through. In one case, an alarm sounded, but during the pat down, the screener failed to detect a fake plastic explosive taped to the undercover agent's back. ABC reports: "Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson was apparently so frustrated by the findings he sought a detailed briefing on them last week at TSA headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, according to sources. U.S. officials insisted changes have already been made at airports to address vulnerabilities identified by the latest tests. 'Upon learning the initial findings of the Office of Inspector General's report, Secretary Johnson immediately directed TSA to implement a series of actions, several of which are now in place, to address the issues raised in the report,' the DHS said in a written statement to ABC News."

Comments

DHS was never about Homeland Security

[Anonymous Coward]

It was about creating another welfare program.

Re:DHS was never about Homeland Security

[ahodgson]

Since 95% of the tests failed, it's pretty obvious that there is in fact pretty much no one trying to take weapons on board planes in order to take them down; they would have succeeded multiple times since 9/11 otherwise.

Wait a second guys!

[Anonymous Coward]

All this means is that they failed to find FAKE plastic explosives and the like, not that they wouldn't find real stuff.

Do a real test!

This makes me feel safe

[GoddersUK]

I've seen various comments/analysis on other sites about how unsafe this makes people feel. My response was completely the opposite: security is completely ineffective yet it's quite rare for terrorists to blow up airliners. Conclusion: terrorists don't pose a massive threat to our safety and we can do away with all the infringements of our liberties made in the name of safety from terrorists.

Although, no doubt, the government will see it as an excuse to make airport security fondle your bollocks for a minimum of 30 seconds; after all, we've got to stop all those terrorists that aren't blowing up planes from blowing up planes!

Re:This makes me feel safe

[Anonymous Coward]

the government will see it as an excuse to make airport security fondle your bollocks for a minimum of 30 seconds;

If you train them properly, you can even help reduce the healthcare budget.

Re:This makes me feel safe

[AthanasiusKircher]

Sure, you might get a few hundred casulties and the loss of a plane and possible some casulties on the ground.. there are far worse things they could do. Black Friday at a Wal-mart? Sporting events, train stations..

Yes, this is the obvious thing. I recall after 9/11 when people were actually freaked out by such possibilities. I had a couple friends who didn't even want to go to shopping malls for a few months, because there was fear that any large congregation of people could be a target.

And then what happened?? Nothing.

And people stopped worrying about all those other possibilities....

Also, a fun stat on that "sure you might get a few hundred casualties" with a loss of a plane. Keep in mind that TSA is not free either. And I'm not just talking about cost or special scanners (whether they have medical consequences or not) or groping.

I'm talking about how everyone was saddened after 9/11 about how much of a waste it was -- that so many people had "lost their lives" in their prime.

Well, guess what? Run the math on the 600,000,000 passengers who board flights in the U.S. every year or so. For every minute/person the TSA wastes, that equates to roughly 1000 years of people's lifespans wasted cumulatively.

If the TSA wastes 5 minutes on average for people standing in line and going through extra security crap, that's 5000 years of lifespans "lost" every year when people could be doing something else, being productive in their own lives. (And that doesn't even take into account how much time is wasted because people arrive early at airports just in case of a long security delay.)

This may sound like a silly analysis, but it's time we're all forced to give out of our lives for no apparent reason just to board a plane.

One could thus argue that the TSA is already wasting "hundreds of lives" every year, even if a plane doesn't go down... we don't need the terrorists to do it.

Re:Security theatre.

[Anonymous Coward]

If they would stop testing it, then it would be better security theater. For example, when I went to the theater over the weekend to see a movie, the theater people didn't notice I had a small pocket knife in my pocket. This is exactly how the security theater at airports work. They don't notice either. Several trips recently I forgot to take my 1 quart baggie of liquids (small hairspray, small shampoo, etc.) out of my carry on. Did they notice, despite their warning signs? Nope. My wife doesn't travel much and she went through the scanner with stuff in her pocket. The signs say you can't do that. Do they notice or care? Nope. It is theater. Theater doesn't have to catch stuff, it just has to make dummies feel safer and make other dummies think twice before bringing weapons and explosives on board.

from my limited experience

[antiperimetaparalogo]

Long time ago i served as a conscript in the Greek Special Forces: part of our training was to do infiltration inside (Greek) "regular" forces' bases - that was for us (S.F.) a training in missions we may do in a real war situation AND a test for the bases' security (on behalf of the regular army/navy/air force command)... while we (S.F.) almost always succeed (so, "regular" forces "failed"), i can guarantee the good status of Greek "regular" forces' base security.

My point is that the methods (and level of "fake enemy") on those "friendly" security checks are very different from what most people (most "bad guys" included) will ever use.

Re:Grandmas and Toddlers

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah. This is important! If you have a gallon bottle of dangerous explosive liquids you must dump it to the trashcan at the checkpoint. Yes, the one that is by the long queue of people waiting to get through the check. That trashcan is made of superplastic than neutralizes all dangerous substances. Watch out citizen! Have your passport ready! Don't have too much liquids ready! (unless you keep it in your pocket, hand, or anywhere the security won't notice)

Re:Grandmas and Toddlers

[XxtraLarGe]

Not to mention keeping our airplanes safe from containers of liquid larger than 3.4 ounces. Who knows what a terrorist might do if he smuggled 4 ounces of shampoo aboard a plane!

That could be a bomb, throw it in the garbage over there!

Re:Security theatre.

[Required Snark]

The real name of the Department of Homeland Security: the Department of Homeland Pork

The TSA clowns at airports are not government employees, they are private contractors. It the last resort for someone who wants to wear a uniform and have a badge but is too incompetent to be a mall cop. So it's no surprise that they have a 95% failure rate.

A huge chunk of taxpayer money gets wasted and there is little real world payoff. Make no mistake, the real big bucks go to the upper management, political insiders who grease the wheels for lucrative contracts. Just a division of the military industrial complex.

Another example: the Air Force just signed the very first contract with Boeing for commercial manned flights to the International Space Station. The Boeing crew vehicle hasn't even flown yet, unlike the SpaceX capsule which is now going through it's manned launch escape testing. Boeing is in bed with the AF, SpaceX isn't. All the AF guys know that they will just slide over to high paying jobs at Boeing when they retire, and there are lots of Congress Critters who get campaign contribution from Boeing, and want to protect defense jobs in their state.

Saving money? Competition? Innovation? Not even on the table. It's government of, by and for the insiders. And you are paying for it.