In 2001 after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 the federal government created the Aviation and Transportation Act (ATSA) under the Department of Transportation (DOT). On paper it was good theory, it was intended to provide screening for all passengers and items that is to be carried aboard aircraft. Congress created the ATSA to institute new security measures as quick as possible. In 2002 the TSA was moved from the DOT to the newly created Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The TSA began to operate the screen procedures of more than 425 airports nationwide. Eighteen airports however applied for the Screening Partnership Program (SPP) with five being selected as part of the 2 year pilot program. It is this Authors opinion that the creation
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It established timelines for approval or denial of applications. It also defined specific actions to be taken for those applications that were ultimately denied. The Approving official must determine the approval will not compromise security, increase cost or reduce the effectiveness of the airport screening process. The TSA is a regulatory institution as part of DHS and yet the TSA makes up all of the airport and passenger screening with exception of the few contracted airports (Edwards 2013). This in itself creates a perception of conflicted interest and begs a few questions. Does the TSA regulate its screeners the same as it does the private screeners? Do they handle mistakes and errors the same? How do they work with the Government Union employees compare to the contract workers? Self-regulation has always been a problem, there is no oversight and leads to complacency and failures. One can see the amount of TSA failures over the past few years with just a quick internet search. Oddly enough those same searches don’t tend to identify the private sector with the same rate of failures. Although those statistics are not addressed here, they do lend credibility for reasons to privatize. In 2012, Kip Hawley a former TSA chief stated the agency is “hopelessly bureaucratic” and congressional reports have criticized the TSA for a …show more content…
Shirley Ybarra, July 2013
Privatizing the Transportation Security Administration, Policy analysis. Chris Edwards, November 2013.
www.tsa.org. Public Law 107-71, 115 STAT 603, Nov 19, 2001
TSA Green Light to Orlando San¬ford Screener Reform, press release, John Mica, June 11,
It established timelines for approval or denial of applications. It also defined specific actions to be taken for those applications that were ultimately denied. The Approving official must determine the approval will not compromise security, increase cost or reduce the effectiveness of the airport screening process. The TSA is a regulatory institution as part of DHS and yet the TSA makes up all of the airport and passenger screening with exception of the few contracted airports (Edwards 2013). This in itself creates a perception of conflicted interest and begs a few questions. Does the TSA regulate its screeners the same as it does the private screeners? Do they handle mistakes and errors the same? How do they work with the Government Union employees compare to the contract workers? Self-regulation has always been a problem, there is no oversight and leads to complacency and failures. One can see the amount of TSA failures over the past few years with just a quick internet search. Oddly enough those same searches don’t tend to identify the private sector with the same rate of failures. Although those statistics are not addressed here, they do lend credibility for reasons to privatize. In 2012, Kip Hawley a former TSA chief stated the agency is “hopelessly bureaucratic” and congressional reports have criticized the TSA for a …show more content…
Shirley Ybarra, July 2013
Privatizing the Transportation Security Administration, Policy analysis. Chris Edwards, November 2013.
www.tsa.org. Public Law 107-71, 115 STAT 603, Nov 19, 2001
TSA Green Light to Orlando San¬ford Screener Reform, press release, John Mica, June 11,