TSA's "behavior detection" technology wrong 99% of the time
A program the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) began in 2006 that attempts to catch terrorists and other criminals by their suspicious behavior has been wrong over 99% of the time, according to the TSA's own numbers.
The program, which trains TSA screeners to detect suspicious or odd behavior in passengers, has resulted in 160,000 stops of passengers, including pat-downs and in-depth questioning. Yet only 1,266 arrests were made out of those 160,000 stops, mostly for drug possession and carrying fake identification.
Unsurprisingly, many are critical of the "behavior detection" program, including Carnegie Mellon professor Stephen Fienberg, who calls the program "a sham," and says, "We have no evidence it works." Other scientists say that while objective observers may be able to detect nervous behavior, there's no way to tell whether it's because they're planning a terrorist attack or traveling to have an extramarital affair.
TSA spokesperson Ellen Howe puts a more positive spin on the numbers, however. She says the program has been "incredibly effective" at catching criminals.
Indeed. Saying the program is "wrong 99% of the time" sounds so negative. Why not say it has a success rate of almost 1%?
Via Boing Boing [HT: The invaluable Agitator]
Filed under: Transportation, Airports, News
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
bruce Sep 21st 2009 8:50PM
i`m white i can read and i work for a living i should be rushed right through and cheered on by the masses..i`m an american also a blood donor...a pacesetter too for breast cancer walks and an owner of the purple heart...
sidehack Jan 8th 2010 7:14PM
What I want to know (cause TSA wont confirm it when asked) why can someone with a small child, stroller, or wheelchair just be 'wheeled'ththrough with out any pat down or screening.
Oh 'they wouldn't do anything to harm us...............
ever see a firearm made out of tubing components?
Mike Jan 13th 2010 9:24AM
I don't know where the stroller went through without being screened.
But that is wrong by SOP it is to by x-rayed or screened by ETD/Hand
check. If you see this again say something. Thjis doesn't happen at my
airport.
Mark Feb 19th 2010 3:37AM
"... why can someone with a small child, stroller, or wheelchair just be 'wheeled'ththrough with out any pat down or screening..."
They don't !!!
Debbie Jan 18th 2010 9:37PM
Well,Well,...tsk...tsk...Remember when there was a time when there were just....black,white,indians,and a few mexicans along with a tadd' of foriegners'? So America...look what GREAT BIG' mess you have created!! along with your constitutional government!
What are you going to do now?!!
sjoyce Feb 22nd 2010 7:40AM
I worked for a major international airport as a bartender & had to go though the TSA back ground checks,fingerprinting,instructional training on airport operations. Believe me it was a pain in the ass but well worth it.Just being a bartender I had to take my breaks under the airport were the baggage was stored & loaded before each flight.We had to wear security badges,have a special code to punch in to get to the tarmack,going though 3 diff. locked locations.When under the airport on break if your badge was not on properly even the baggage handlers would ask to see it for security in any area.Even if they had seen me a 1000 times before.I was also instructed to do the same.Anything that looked sup. should & was reported.I felt better noy only for my saftey but the safety of all passengers that was going to fly.THE airport police were the best in the world,stopping me several times in my times there just to check my security statues.The employee's go through way more ckecks than any passenger.So I think NO-ONE should complain about a few min. of time to ensure the safety of many people.We were doing our job as told & went well above the call to ensure everyones safety ,even our on.