TSA: Security is ‘everybody’s business’

If you’re confused about the new code-orange security precautions at the airport, you’re in good company. Air travelers have wondered about the delays, cancellations and what it means to their next trip. I asked Mark Hatfield, director of communications for the Transportation Security Administration, to help sort things out.

Q: Since the government raised the national threat level from “elevated” to “high risk of terrorist attack” on Dec. 21, airline passengers have asked “how does this affect us”? Other than tighter security screening at the airport, and the reported delays or cancellations, what specifically has the higher alert-level meant to air travelers?

Hatfield: When the threat level is raised to “orange,” there is a wide range of actions the federal government can take that systematically initiates enhanced security protocols.

On Dec. 21, TSA sent notices to airports, local law enforcement and airlines advising them of specific, required security measures. Some of these measures are visible to the public: random vehicle inspections, increased law enforcement and canine patrols, and new signage advising passengers that the threat level had been raised. Other measures are more transparent to travelers because they occur behind the scenes or involve security personnel who intentionally blend into the crown.

At the same time we have asked air travelers to allow extra time to get to the airport in order to catch their flights, and we have also asked them to join us in the security effort. Through public address announcements and signage in airports, we are asking travelers to be more alert to their surroundings and report suspicious activity or unattended items. They are also reminded to keep track of their own belongings and never carry anything for strangers.

Q: In airports where security is widely reported to be extra tight – Los Angeles, for example – travelers have asked if they’re better off just using an alternate airport, if possible, or even postponing their travel plans. Is that the best course of action, given the higher threat level?

Hatfield: The best course is to stay the course. As both President Bush and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge have stated, Americans should keep their travel plans and keep traveling. Most travelers will agree that even the greatest inconveniences they encounter due to localized security measures are not significant enough to cause them to alter or cancel their plans.

Q: Passengers are curious about the recent Air France and British Airways flight cancellations, in particular. There have been numerous reports of the wrong people being singled out as possible threats, including, in one case, a 5-year-old child. Can you help travelers understand the reasons, in general, behind these extraordinary actions?

Hatfield: The Department of Homeland Security and TSA, acting on specific intelligence information, conferred with the governments of France and the United Kingdom regarding individual flights. Those governments then advised the two airlines involved of the shared concerns, and the decision was made to cancel the flights. We are operating in a dynamic environment and these situations can develop very quickly. It is not always possible to confirm details of individual passengers who have names similar to those on “watch lists” before a security decision needs to be made. We are working closely with our international partners to minimize passenger inconvenience.

Q: If you are detained because your name is similar or identical to a name on a computerized watch list, your rights under most airline contracts of carriage are vague, at best. As a matter of policy, how does the TSA coordinate with the carriers to ensure that people who are denied boarding or delayed can continue to their destination?

Hatfield: In November 2001, TSA assumed responsibility for the No-Fly List. TSA compiles the No-Fly List based upon recommendations and information from federal government intelligence and law enforcement agencies. Individuals on the No-Fly List pose, or are suspected of posing, a threat to civil aviation or national security. Individuals who are on the No-Fly List are not permitted to receive a boarding pass from the airlines.

Some individuals who have names that are similar to names on the No-Fly List must spend extra time with the ticket agent or law enforcement officer to establish their identity prior to receiving a boarding pass. TSA has developed protocols for persons who are frequently delayed when trying to get a boarding pass because of name similarities. Individuals can send an email to the Ombudsman’s Office explaining the circumstances that led to their problems getting a boarding pass and TSA will send the paperwork that the individual must fill out to verify their identity and alleviate future problems.

For the long-term solution to this problem, TSA is developing a significantly enhanced computerized passenger prescreening system that will greatly reduce the frequency of misidentification. The system, scheduled to come online this year, will also dramatically reduce the number of passengers selected for secondary screening. The TSA will administer the new system thereby relieving airlines of both the burden and the expense.

Lastly, the US Government is currently working to consolidate numerous watch lists to reduce the frequency of false positives.

Q: Taxpayers like to see results when a new federal agency like the TSA is created. Specifically, during the current code orange, airline analyst Mike Boyd observes that the only bad guys we seem to have nabbed have been the federal security directors at Washington and Philadelphia, who have been removed in recent days for various indiscretions. What’s your view of your agency’s track record during the last month?

Hatfield: I’m not going to answer that. It’s not our policy to respond to those kinds of questions.

Q: The TSA Web site is a primary resource for people who are preparing to travel by air. Other than urging travelers to “be vigilant” there were few substantive changes to the site after Dec. 21. Should we assume that we should make the same preparations before we fly as we did earlier? If not, then what should we be doing differently?

Hatfield: Our basic travel preparation advice still applies. Additionally, we ask passengers to allow additional time to catch their flights, given heightened security. The airlines are still the best source for guidance on how much time passengers should allow. Some passengers continue to bring pocketknives, scissors, mace, and other prohibited items. The Web site, provides a detailed list of prohibited and permitted items that passengers should review prior to flying.

In addition to informing the public through our Web site, TSA spokespeople and security directors have given hundreds of radio, television and print interviews on the subjects of enhanced security and travel advice over the past several weeks. Beyond this, it is important to remember that security is everybody’s business – everyone has a role. Passengers need to report suspicious activity, remain vigilant, and leave prohibited items at home.

Q: Aren’t all the headlines and news broadcasts about the additional security just tipping off would-be terrorists that we’re on to them? Can you help passengers understand the need for the high-profile security precautions? Why are the current steps preferable to keeping a lower profile and quietly increasing security measures?

Hatfield: Based on credible intelligence information, the federal government calmly takes the precautions necessary to protect its citizens, and the public needs and has a right to know that steps are being taken. Given the strong support TSA has received in national polls, the large majority of Americans do understand the need for strong security measures. Our mission is to deter and disrupt terrorist activity and to this end the visibility of some our security measures is a definite advantage.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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