As much as travelers love cheap airplane tickets and cheap vacation packages, many would like to be able to proceed more easily/comfortably through airport security without diminishing passenger safety.
To improve airline safety, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is using behavioral detection officers to test a casual conversation screening technique at Bostons Logan airport. During conversations with passengers officers will look for suspicious behavior and facial expressions.
Israeli airport security personnel were the first to use this approach at airports to identify potential threats that warrant additional screening. Israeli airport security is widely considered to be the best in the world and is makes wide use of behavioral analysis and profiling.
By incorporating the human factor in U.S. airport security TSA officers can be on the lookout for more than simply bad items (such as weapons and bombs). Security experts believe that airline security personnel also need to be looking for bad people.
Many experts believe that profiling should be part of an intelligence driven security system. Others who prioritize privacy often are against profiling.
Those favoring profiling are not calling for illegal racial or ethnic profiling. Profile supporters want to use legitimate information to raise red flags, such as someone flying on a one way with no luggage and paying cash for the ticket.
TSA will be launching a pilot trusted travel program in October with the aim of reducing screening hassles for travelers who provide additional personal information to the government which in turn will free more resources to focus on high risk passengers. www.cheapfares.com