[Infowarrior] - Taking The 'S' Out Of 'TSA:' Minneapolis Screeners Fail To Detect Contraband 94% Of The Time

[Richard Forno]

Taking The 'S' Out Of 'TSA:' Minneapolis Screeners Fail To Detect Contraband 94% Of The Time

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170709/13094137747/taking-s-out-tsa-minneapolis-screeners-fail-to-detect-contraband-94-time.shtml

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According to officials briefed on the results of a recent Homeland Security Inspector General’s report, TSA agents failed 67 out of 70 tests [95%], with Red Team members repeatedly able to get potential weapons through checkpoints. In one test an undercover agent was stopped after setting off an alarm at a magnetometer, but TSA screeners failed to detect a fake explosive device that was taped to his back during a follow-on pat down. Officials would not divulge the exact time period of the testing other than to say it concluded recently.

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That percentage could conceivably have been worse. According to Fox 9, the Red Team stopped the audit once it hit the 95% threshold. Even the most sociopathic of us finds it uncomfortable to watch supposedly-trained people fail over and over at the one task they've been assigned.

Fox also points out the MSP team has failed before, albeit somewhat less spectacularly. Last year, TSA screeners missed 9 of 12 weapons/explosives. Since that previous low water mark, security has only gotten worse.

The TSA's response? To borrow a gun from someone who got past the screeners in order to shoot the messenger.

When asked about Thursday’s failing grade, the TSA said, “TSA cannot confirm or deny the results of internal tests and condemns the release of any information that could compromise our nation’s security."

Hey, TSA: it's not the release of information that's compromising national security. It's your employees. If they did their job competently, there'd be nothing to report.