Security Problems Airports example essay topic

PROBLEMS IN AIRPORT SECURITY The crash of TWA Flight 800 combined with increased terrorism in airports had led to more rigid security measures. Anyone who has flown recently has discovered that at most airports when you want to get your boarding pass, you must show a picture identification. This same procedure is followed when checking your baggage outside the terminal building. Considering the bombing of the World Towers, the Federal Building in Oklahoma City, and the bomb found in Atlanta Americans need to take security for all public places more seriously. This is especially true at airports where the security measures taken in other countries, such as Britain and Israel, are far more rigid and effective. Given the alarmingly increased numbers of terrorist attacks in the world, it is only prudent to institute and comply with rigid security standards at all airports no matter where they are located.

Unfortunately, this is not the case. Most of the security devices being used in airports today are the same as those used in the 1970's when the major concern was hijackings, not terrorist bombings. These machines can detect metal but they cannot detect the sophisticated explosive materials used in today's world. Even more frightening is the fact that most of the luggage and mail checked for domestic flights is not even X-raped (Fischetti 38). Flagrant violations at many airports even in the United States have been discovered during 'spot-checks' of security measures. This paper will discuss some of the problems found, the major problem areas, why terrorists choose their targets and the various technological devices that could dramatically improve security at all airports.

The airline that has the best reputation for security is El Al, the Israeli national airline. Isaac Y effet who was director of security for El Al for six years was a member of a team that conducted a review of major airports in the world in the late 1980's. The team found flagrant abuses and violations of basic security measures in nearly every airport they visited including the loading of un inspected baggage that had not even been x-raped (Barnes 135). The report was so well known, it is amazing that some of the same violations found more than a decade ago still exist today. Why Terrorists Select Specific Locations Terrorist acts are typically a response to a specific political or military act (Barnes 132). In recent years, terrorists have attacked on the anniversaries of the death of a leader who supported their cause (Searle, et. al.

2). They look for the weakest spots that will also create the most fear (Barnes 132). Airports and airplanes are a prime target due to the large numbers of people who are placed in jeopardy by their threats or the large numbers who will dies as a result of a bombing. Airports, in many cases, are easy targets for a variety of reasons: they are often understaffed; security personnel do not receive adequate and ongoing training; machines used to detect possible materials are out of date; security measures that are in place are not followed (Searle, et. al. 2). Itis surprisingly easy to gain access to restricted areas in many airports in the world, including areas that lead directly to the tarmac where planes are parked.

Security Problems Airports where significant problems with security can be found are not limited to countries where internal strife has been present for years nor are they limited to Asian or Arabian countries although the incidence is far greater in these countries. For instance, there are periodic hijackings and bomb threats on the route between Beijing and Taiwan, China; the security measures and adherence to them vacillates between good and poor. But other countries do not implement appropriate security measures at all; Athens, Greece is one of those (Strecker 161). Dulles International Airport is a major hub in the world. Dignitaries from all over the world fly in and out of this airport located only 25 miles from downtown Washington, D.C. In November 1997, a spot check of Dulles revealed several problems were observed: In the baggage claim area a door marked 'WARNING, No Trespassing, Restricted Area' was left open for more than an hour with not security guard present. These kinds of restricted areas are adjacent to the tarmac where planes are packed and baggage containers are loaded into the planes.

Anyone could have walked through and planted an exploding device. When the screening one person's carry-on bag indicated a hand search should be conducted, the person at the security check point began to unzip the bag but when the person asked why the hand search was being conducted, the screener quickly re zipped the bag and let the person move on without examining the contents of the bag. The reporter doing the study passed through the carry-on baggage checkpoints five times without holding a ticket or being asked for his ticket. The FAA leaves this option up to the individual airlines and airports but Denver, San Francisco and New York do not allow beyond the security points. AT one of the airline ticket counters that was being renovated, an area that leads directly to the departure gate was left unguarded. A cordon of construction tape was the only barrier to the area (Stoller 12).

Another reporter recently successfully walked past security guards at Newark's airport. Newark Airport is a hub for New York City and it is the 13th busiest airport in the United States. The reporter was able to enter various baggage areas through unlocked doors and the only guard he saw was asleep. He was able to walk onto the tarmac and right to a parked plane. Hew as never stopped or asked what he was doing there (Fay 1). Another flagrant violation observed concerned another passenger.

The security machine went off when he passed through it; he took off his jacket, handed it to the security officer and then walked through without the bells going off. The security officer then handed the passenger his jacket without having the pockets emptied for investigation (Fay 2). The reporter also observed luggage that was scheduled for different international flights neither X-raped nor hand-searched by any airport personnel. In fact, he found the machines were there in the baggage rooms but they were just not being used (Fay 1). Checking checked baggage in the United States is not taken very seriously. IN an investigation, Lane discovered that the federal government has spent more than $200 million in developing technology to detect bombs since the late 1970's but it has not implemented baggage screening machines that are capable of detecting plastic-explosive bombs like the one that took down Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland eight years ago (6).

More alarming is the fact that baggage checked in the U.S. on domestic flights is seldom screened at all (Fischetti 38; Lane 6) and on international flights, many airlines use only conventional X-ray machines which are incapable of detecting small amounts of plastic explosives (6). The most serious problem airports face is connecting luggage to passengers. The most glaring lack in airport security in the United States is screening luggage. There are machines, however, that can do both but they are costly.

Security Devices Available There are numerous hi-tech security devices available. For instance, STI has developed an integrated security and safety system they call FotoTag. The system allows operations and security personnel to track the movements of visitors, passengers, employees, vendors and baggage from check-in to boarding and more. The system requires a LAN in order to work. FotoTag uses the latest technology to integrate digital images and bar codes. Passengers are digitally photographed when they check in and is given a security status while their bags and boarding passes are being assigned with corresponding bar codes.

The passenger and his or her bags can then be verified at any security station at the airport. The same system is used to verify any other baggage, cargo and even employees (STI 3). The best X-ray machine available for screening bags is the CTX-5000 which isa computer-tomography machine. It takes cross-sectional slices and combines them into three-dimensional images. The process is fairly slow because two machines have to operate in parallel fashion to scan the bags thus are able to process only about 450 bags an hour. The cost is $1 million per machine.

O'Hare airport in Chicago has two of the 50 machines that are currently in use (Fischetti 43). Although some companies are in the process of developing similar machines that will cost about half that price, they are still very expensive and this is the dilemma. Who is going to pay the price? Conclusion Airport security is a major concern across the world. Some airports are safer than others, of course, but it would seem that here in the United States several areas are not attended to as carefully as they should be. Baggage screening is one of those areas.

The technology exists but it is costly and one question that is often asked is: is it worth it to spend that amount of money. Perhaps, the officials asking this question should pose it to the survivors of victims. There can be no doubt about their answer -- yes, it is worth it.

Bibliography

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