Chertoff touts risk management approach

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Tuesday that changes in aviation security rules are a result of emphasizing risk management. In a speech at George Washington University, Chertoff said the Transportation Security Administration is adjusting its focus to target explosive devices. He pointed to TSA's decision to stop the confiscation of nail clippers and small tools as an example of a revamped "consequence-focused" strategy.

Chertoff also cited the termination of a rule that required passengers to remain seated on flights taking off and landing at Reagan National Airport as an example of the department's readjusted priorities in aviation security, a decision he said was probably his most popular this year. Risk management "doesn't mean we protect every single person against every risk at every moment at every place, and that means we make tough choices," he said.

Chertoff touted several technological advancements in border and aviation security in the past year. He said the biometrics used to screen foreign passengers will be completed at 150 airports, 14 seaports and 154 land ports of entry by the end of the year.

The US-VISIT system collects biometric data from visitors at visa stations and screens that information against watch lists. He called the rollout of US-VISIT a "major milestone" for the department.

Chertoff also listed the deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles to monitor illegal migration as an achievement in border security. The Homeland Security Department and the Border Protection Directorate reached an agreement with the FAA this year to fly a drone in Arizona, but they are still negotiating terms that would allow unmanned flights outside restricted military airspace.

Chertoff said the integration of new technology is critical in combating illegal migration. "We can't afford to simply use techniques that haven't worked," he said.