TSA criticized as private companies wait for airport screening contracts

Two recent reports have criticized federal management of airport passenger and baggage screening operations. Meanwhile, contractors hope momentum is building for airports to want private screening services.

A Government Accountability Office report issued Monday found that airport screeners with the Transportation Security Administration were not receiving the required amount of recurrent training per week.

"TSA lacks adequate internal controls to provide reasonable assurance that screeners receive legislatively mandated basic and remedial training, and to monitor its recurrent training program," according to the report (GAO-05-457). "Specifically, TSA policy does not clearly specify the responsibility for ensuring that screeners have completed all required training. In addition, TSA officials have no formal policies or methods for monitoring the completion of required training and were unable to provide documentation identifying the completion of remedial training."

In response to the report, TSA said it will improve its online training and is requesting almost $175 million in its fiscal 2006 budget for high-speed Internet access for training at airports across the country.

Two weeks ago, the Homeland Security Department's inspector general also issued a report that said little has improved in the ability of screeners to detect threat objects.

"[D]espite the fact that the majority of screeners with whom our testers came in contact with were diligent in the performance of their duties and conscious of the responsibility those duties carry, the lack of improvement since our last audit indicates that significant improvement in performance may not be possible without greater use of new technology," the report said.

In response, TSA said: "We agree with the IG's conclusion that significant improvements in performance will only be possible with the introduction of new technology. That said, we will continue to seek incremental gains in screener performance through training, testing and management practices."

Clark Kent Ervin, a former DHS inspector general, noted the report in an interview with CNN.

"We have spent millions of dollars--arguably billions of dollars--since 9/11 to make aviation security as a whole much safer. And we have relatively little to show for it, as far as the performance of screeners is concerned," Ervin said.

Meanwhile, private contractors are waiting in the wings to win contracts for managing screening operations at airports.

Congress stipulated that airports could begin applying to use private screening services starting last November. TSA is responsible for overseeing the private screening program and is currently accepting applications. To date, only two airports have applied: Elko Regional Airport in Nevada and Sioux Falls Airport in South Dakota. Both airports have less than 50 screeners.

Contractors, however, are seeking liability protection under the Safety Act, which means that claims against them will be capped in the event of a terrorist attack. So far, FirstLine Transportation Security and Covenant Aviation Security are the only two firms to receive Safety Act designation, which means that the companies need their own insurance to protect them against claims up to $50 million, after which the federal government covers the rest.

TSA also plans to issue a list of companies that it deems qualified to conduct private security screening. A TSA official said the list is expected to be issued at the end of May, and the transition to private companies will occur in the fall.