Given the availability of cheap airplane tickets and discount hotel rooms some airports are wondering why they are not busier. Several of the nations biggest airports are looking at hiring private firms to replace the Transportation Security Administrations (TSA) screener. Sixteen airports have already made the switch since 2002, including San Francisco and Kansas City.
Airports that interested in possibly hiring private screeners include Charlotte, Dulles Airport located outside of Washington, DC and N.C. Minneapolis-St. Paul
The screening process does not change when private contractors are used. Passengers are still required to take off their shoes, and their odds of facing pat-downs or full body scanners remain unchanged. Before airlines can employ private security firms these firms are fully vetted by TSA administrators. The private screeners work under TSA rules.
The chairman of the House Transportation Committee recently contacted about 200 airports urging them to switch to private screeners. His reasoning is that he would like to see TSA refocus and direct its mission to develop and implement the best security protocols and procedures. His concern is that TSA is becoming a huge screening force and human resources operation. TSA screeners have grown from 17,500 to almost 67,000.
Because of security concerns, TSA is allowed to fire underperforming workers on the spot which is an exception to ordinary rules for federal employees. To date, no study has shown how the government could save money by outsourcing the TSAs screening work to private contractors.
TSA undercover tests have found too many weapons getting through airport security. This was one of the reasons why last November enhanced pat-downs were ordered.
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