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LINDER CHAIRS HEARING ON LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE AIRPORT SECURITY
July 13, 2005
On July 13, 2005, Congressman John Linder (R-GA) chaired a Subcommittee on Economic Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Cybersecurity hearing on “Leveraging Technology to Improve Airport Security.” The hearing examined how the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) can use available and emerging technologies to increase the efficiency and enhance the effectiveness of passenger and baggage screening at airports.
“TSA spends approximately $4 billion annually screening passengers and baggage,” Linder said. “While that is undoubtedly a lot of money, I fear that this country is not getting nearly the return it would hope on such an investment. The current checkpoint security system is too slow, too costly, too labor intensive, inefficient, and, quite simply, not effective enough. I am hopeful that emerging technologies could alter the current state of checkpoint security.”
TSA has responsibility for screening all airline passengers and their baggage for weapons and explosives prior to boarding commercial aircraft. Unfortunately, the current airport checkpoint security system uses outmoded technology, and has limited ability to detect modern terrorist threats. While there are short term goals for checkpoint screening enhancements and longer term programs for explosive detection systems (EDS), TSA has yet to complete a full-scale technology development and deployment plan. Current technology development and deployment is based on threat (greatest risk airports) and airports that have the longest wait times. TSA does not yet have a unified strategy to leverage current and emerging technologies at airports.
“I want to emphasize that no single technology will offer a 100 percent solution to the multitude of aviation security threats,” Linder continued. “I believe the American people are better served, however, through the automation of existing systems and the deployment of emerging technologies. We must develop a plan and identify effective technologies that are suitable to the aviation environment and drive toward the goal of improving detection and reducing operation costs. They offer the best hope of improving TSA’s screening operations and in protecting the traveling public.”
Witnesses at today’s hearing included: Mr. Louis Parker, President and Chief Executive Officer, General Electric Security; Mr. Allen R. Barber, President, L-3 Communications Security and Detection Systems, Inc.; Mr. Michael Ellenbogen, President and Chief Executive Officer, Reveal Imaging Technologies, Inc.; Mr. Todd Hauptli, Senior Executive Vice President, American Association of Airport Executives, Senior Vice President, Airport Legislative Alliance; Ms. Cathleen A. Berrick, Director, Homeland Security and Justice, U.S. Government Accountability Office; Mr. Anthony R. Fabiano, President and Chief Executive Officer, American Science and Engineering, Inc.; Mr. John W. Wood Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer, Analogic; Mr. Deepak Chopra, President, OSI Systems Inc.; Mr. Cherif Rizkalla, President, Smiths Detection, Americas; and Mr. Rick Rowe, Chief Executive Officer, SafeView, Inc.