{"id":4236,"date":"2003-10-10T08:53:33","date_gmt":"2003-10-10T15:53:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/?p=4236"},"modified":"2003-10-10T08:53:33","modified_gmt":"2003-10-10T15:53:33","slug":"homeland_insecu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2003\/10\/10\/homeland_insecu.html","title":{"rendered":"Homeland insecurity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Partisan sniping aside, 9\/11 provided ample sentiment among the populace to go along with increased security measures — if <\/i>they seem serious, and if <\/i>they’re well-managed.<\/p>\n

And then there’s this little expose of how tests of baggage screeners at La Guardia airport were riddled with coached answers and inane questions<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Clark Kent Ervin, the acting inspector general for the Homeland Security Department, said a review of the Transportation Security Administration’s testing procedures found that on a recent final exam given to new screeners at LaGuardia Airport, 22 of the 25 questions were used during the practice quiz, and testing protocol “maximized the likelihood that students would pass.”
\n“It is extremely disturbing that most of the questions were rehearsed before the final examination, that a number of the questions were phrased so as to provide an obvious clue to the correct answer, and other questions appear to be simplistic,” Mr. Ervin said.
\nOne question asks “why is it important to screen bags for IEDs? (improvised explosive devices).” Multiple-choice answers included “ticking timer could worry other passengers,” “batteries could leak and damage other passenger bags,” or the wires could “cause a short to the aircraft wires.”
\nThe correct answer is that “IEDs can cause loss of lives, property and aircraft.”
\n“Some questions give away the answer and some are simply inane,” Mr. Ervin said.
\nAnother multiple-choice question asks how “threats get aboard an aircraft.” The choices are carry-on baggage, checked bags, or another person’s bag, and the correct answer is “all of the above.”<\/p>\n

Why am I reminded of classes and tests for college athletes?<\/p>\n

The TSA contracted the testing and curriculum development to Northrop-Grumman; the training itself is handled under contract by Boeing.<\/p>\n

TSA spokesman Brian Turmail told The Washington Times that the inspector general only reviewed one component of a regimen that every screener undergoes, including 40 hours of classes and 60 hours of on-the-job training.
\nThe final written test is “one small part of a comprehensive training regimen,” he said. “We understand screeners don’t find bombs using multiple-choice tests, that’s why every TSA screener has to demonstrate in a real world environment an ability to screen for explosives and keep bombs off airplanes,” Mr. Turmail said.<\/p>\n

Well, if the test is so trivial a part of the training, why have it at all? Especially if it’s going to be dumbed down to the point of uselessness?<\/p>\n

What the folks involved in this don’t realize (and I’ll credit them with simple stupidity, rather than malfeasance) is that not only does this sort of thing endanger security by not <\/i>testing for important knowledge regarding baggage screening (and thus culling out people who haven’t garnered that knowledge), but the inevitable revelation to the public reduces public support of security measures ove<\/i>rall — which, if they really are needed, dramatically reduces their effectiveness, and makes further deaths from terrorism that much more likely.<\/p>\n

In other words, folks, you’re likely killing people here.<\/i><\/p>\n

Just think about that.<\/p>\n

via InstaPundit<\/a>)<\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Partisan sniping aside, 9\/11 provided ample sentiment among the populace to go along with increased security measures — if they seem serious, and if they’re well-managed. And then there’s this…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-homeland-security"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1030,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2001\/10\/23\/screen_door.html","url_meta":{"origin":4236,"position":0},"title":"Screen Door","author":"***Dave","date":"Tue 23-Oct-01 7:50am","format":false,"excerpt":"Blabbermouths The Concourse A bridge route still looks to be the best way through security at DIA. Meanwhile, if you want to feel confident and comfortable about the security screeners...","rel":"","context":"In "Homeland Security"","block_context":{"text":"Homeland Security","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/politics-law\/homeland-security"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2020,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2002\/03\/26\/the_highest_lev.html","url_meta":{"origin":4236,"position":1},"title":"The highest level of security","author":"***Dave","date":"Tue 26-Mar-02 6:34am","format":false,"excerpt":"The inspector general of the Dept. of Transportation has been running tests of airport security since 9\/11. What's been found -- during a period when the highest level of security...","rel":"","context":"In "Homeland Security"","block_context":{"text":"Homeland Security","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/politics-law\/homeland-security"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9807,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2006\/10\/30\/but_at_least_theyre_not_a.html","url_meta":{"origin":4236,"position":2},"title":"But at least they’re not allowing 4 ounces of toothpaste through …","author":"***Dave","date":"Mon 30-Oct-06 2:27pm","format":false,"excerpt":"Once again, TSA screeners fail to find all sorts of potentially dangerous stuff. But God help you if you're carrying a full-sized bottle of shampoo! Screeners at Newark Liberty International...","rel":"","context":"In "Homeland Security"","block_context":{"text":"Homeland Security","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/politics-law\/homeland-security"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":11670,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2007\/07\/22\/because_you_know_its_not.html","url_meta":{"origin":4236,"position":3},"title":"Because, you know — it’s not like fluids designed to ignite are a danger or something …","author":"***Dave","date":"Sun 22-Jul-07 8:16am","format":false,"excerpt":"Well, here's a news flash. Screeners at U.S. airports will stop confiscating common cigarette lighters because authorities now consider them a distraction from efforts to find bombs and other...","rel":"","context":"In "Homeland Security"","block_context":{"text":"Homeland Security","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/politics-law\/homeland-security"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/images\/tsa-plastic-bag.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3360,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2002\/12\/16\/too_good_to_be.html","url_meta":{"origin":4236,"position":4},"title":"Too good to be true","author":"***Dave","date":"Mon 16-Dec-02 6:23am","format":false,"excerpt":"Well, I've continued to be pleased with security at DIA, with short lines, and friendly but thorough screeners. 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(SatireWire.com) \u2014 In a troubling sign that investigators may be getting bored with their success smuggling guns and knives onto airplanes, the U.S. Department of Transportation...","rel":"","context":"In "Homeland Security"","block_context":{"text":"Homeland Security","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/politics-law\/homeland-security"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4236","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4236"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4236\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}