http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/tsa/ en-us Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:36:06 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386632/posts What a testament to the spirit and dedication of our workforce that we were able to reach 100 percent completion of ENGAGE! and COACH! training of nearly 55,000 TSA employees in less than a year – while also carrying out our security mission. This required team spirit, determination and the enthusiastic embrace of taking the evolution of security at TSA to the next level. On behalf of the Senior Leadership Team, congratulations to OSO HQ and field leadership, the Evolution team, the phenomenal facilitators, and our committed workforce for completing this phase of our cultural evolution with passion, enthusiasm and... TSA Weekly http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386632/posts#comment Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:36:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2386491/posts MANCHESTER – Saying goodbye to a son or daughter deploying overseas can be one of life's most difficult moments, but Richard Jones of Amherst says the staff at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport recently made that moment a little easier for his family. Jones and his wife, Beth, went to the airport about 5 a.m. Wednesday to see off their son, Dustin, who is on his way to Afghanistan. A sniper with the Marine Corps, Dustin Jones was heading back to his base in Hawaii and is slated to officially deploy this weekend. Union Leader http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2386491/posts#comment Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:13:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385233/posts Transportation Security Administration screeners at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport probably wish that the fellow they chose to grill last March about a box of cash wasn't a Ron Paul devotee who runs a committee devoted to individual rights and constitutional government. But grill Steven Bierfeldt they did, and eight months later the incident has yielded revised rules requiring TSA agents to stick to matters related to flight security rather than policing airports for other crimes. Bierfeldt and the American Civil Liberties Union, which represented him in a lawsuit, announced in a news release this week that the TSA had changed... STLtoday.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385233/posts#comment Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:21:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2383897/posts The Obama Administration’s nominee to head the Transportation Security Administration, Erroll Southers, was censured by the FBI for asking law enforcement personnel to conduct a background check on his ex-wife’s boyfriend. The incident occurred some time ago (1988), and Southers has acknowledged his miscondcut and claims he has not done anything similar since. According to the story linked above, however, a copy of the letter of censure has not been released by the FBI, nor has it been provided to the Senate committee considering Southers’ nomination. Given the nature of his alleged offense, and the sensitivity of the position ,... The Volokh Conspiracy http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2383897/posts#comment Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:22:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2383849/posts The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are the folks in the airports who check your luggage, etc. Honestly they are much more than that, the TSA consists of 50,000 security officers, inspectors, directors, air marshals and managers who protect the nation's transportation systems so we can travel safely. On first the President's Appointment of Erroll Southers to run the TSA made sense. He's a former FBI agent and the LA Airport Police's Director of Homeland Security and intelligence. But on second glance there are many concerns for example his stance on Unions. If he is confirmed to run the TSA, Southers... Washington Post/The Lid http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2383849/posts#comment Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:22:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2378871/posts Note: The following text is a quote: Hamilton Man Sentenced to 30 Months' Imprisonment for Threatening to Bomb Cincinnati Airport and Other Cincinnati-Area Landmarks CINCINNATI—Frederick D. Purvis, 43, of Hamilton, was sentenced in United States District Court here today to 30 months' imprisonment for a series of messages he sent in November, 2008 in which he threatened to blow up seven Cincinnati-area landmarks including the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. He was also sentenced to serve six years of supervised release after his prison term. Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, James A. Zerhusen, United... Cincinnati.FBI.gov - DOJ Press Release http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2378871/posts#comment Thu, 5 Nov 2009 03:12:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2375094/posts Today’s guest author is Deirdre Walker. She retired recently as the Assistant Chief of the Montgomery County, Maryland, Department of Police. She spent 24 years as a police officer. “Do I have the right to refuse this search?” This is a question I heard many times during my law enforcement career. Often my answer was no. But occasionally it would be “yes,” followed by an admonition to have a good day. For the last half of my career, I would have documented each interaction, whether or not it involved an arrest. I would have written down the nature and length... Homeland Security Watch http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2375094/posts#comment Sat, 31 Oct 2009 02:48:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2370045/posts Bryce Williams wasn't expecting to walk through a metal detector or have his bags screened for explosives at the Greyhound bus terminal near downtown Orlando. But Williams and 689 other passengers went through tougher-than-normal security procedures Thursday as part of a random check coordinated by the U.S. The idea is to keep off guard terrorists and others who mean harm, thereby improving safety for passengers and workers. There was no specific threat to the bus station on John Young Parkway south of Colonial Drive. Although the TSA is best known for its agents at airports, the agency's Visible Intermodal Prevention... ORLANDO SENTINEL http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2370045/posts#comment Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:33:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2362357/posts CINCINNATI -- The Transportation Security Administration was checking barges on the Ohio River Tuesday in what it dubbed "Operation Viper." TSA agents were boarding barges and checking in with captains to see if they've seen anything suspicious and to remind them to be vigilant. They are also checking the licenses of the barges and conducting safety inspections. The operation is being run under the Interstate 275 bridge near the borders of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. The U.S. Coast Guard was also part of the operation. WLWT news http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2362357/posts#comment Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:49:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2362278/posts TSA Secure Flight Information The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is introducing Secure Flight, a program to help enhance the security of domestic and international commercial air travel through the use of improved watch list matching. In accordance with this new policy, you will notice changes to our reservation process which have been made to obtain the necessary Secure Flight Passenger Data for reservations purchased beginning September 15, 2009. Please note that SFPD is not being collected from AA passengers whose tickets were issued prior to September 15, 2009, regardless of their travel date. How will this affect you? When you... American Airlines http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2362278/posts#comment Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:40:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2361860/posts -snip- WSMV-TV in Nashville reported that a passenger had to be subdued by other passengers after he began quoting Bible passages. -snip- Atlanta Journal Constitution http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2361860/posts#comment Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:33:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2346940/posts Call it the showdown at the whole-body imaging machine. Depending on who you believe, the Transportation Security Administration at Salt Lake International Airport was either harassing Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, for fighting its use of "strip-search" machines or Chaffetz was being obnoxious. "I'm sure they're not my biggest fans," said Chaffetz, who voted against allowing the TSA to form a union. "They're just harassing me." Chaffetz gives his version of how the incident started. "They told me to go to the far left (metal detector) lane, which is fine. There is one whole-body imaging machine, which is lane No. 2,... Deseret News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2346940/posts#comment Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:17:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2339418/posts As any airline passenger can attest, security at the nation's airports has gotten infinitely more stringent in the eight years since the Sept. 11 attacks. While the technology to screen passengers has become more advanced and the check-in lines a little shorter, the question of whether flying is terrorism-proof remains. By now the routine has become mind-numbingly familiar: Travelers take off their shoes and put them in gray plastic containers along with their toiletries. They carry no more than three 3-ounce bottles in a 1-quart plastic bag, remove laptops from cases and so on. It's a scene played out millions... NPR http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2339418/posts#comment Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:32:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2338227/posts Note: Photo included. SNIPPET: "That's the way Nick George, a senior at Pomona College, in California, sees what happened to him at the Philadelphia airport two Saturdays ago. George, of Wyncote, Montgomery County, was about to catch a Southwest flight back to school when stereo speakers in his backpack caught the eye of screeners at the metal detector. When they looked though his bag, George said, they found his Arabic/English flash cards, and escorted him to a side screening area. He figures it didn't help that his passport had stamps from Jordan, where he'd studied a semester, and Egypt and... Philly.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2338227/posts#comment Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:51:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2338219/posts Note: The following text is a quote: TSA Implementing New Enhanced Threat Detection Capability at Checkpoints Nationwide Press Release WASHINGTON - The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced today it is further bolstering existing explosives detection capabilities by deploying additional tools to screen powdered substances at checkpoints. "Every day, TSA officers work at over 450 airports nationwide screening approximately 2 million passengers to keep the traveling public safe," said TSA Acting Administrator Gale Rossides. "These enhancements are part of TSA's efforts to stay ahead of emerging threats while continually strengthening our layered approach to security." Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) are experienced... TSA.gov - Press Release http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2338219/posts#comment Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:41:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2334006/posts We've talked about Rep. Carolyn McCarthy's "No Fly" bill before. I've also made it the subject of my October Guns Magazine "Rights Watch" column: Having been thwarted in 2005, she recently reintroduced H.R. 2401, the “No Fly, No Buy Act of 2009,” with the stated objective “To increase public safety and reduce the threat to domestic security by including persons who may be prevented from boarding an aircraft in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, and for other purposes.” There's a danger that could catch citizens unawares with terrible consequences: Author and attorney Dave Kopel noted, “Under the New... Gun Rights Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2334006/posts#comment Mon, 7 Sep 2009 16:51:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2327822/posts Woman took items while bags were being screened. A 30-year-old former Transportation Security Administration worker was sentenced to 90 days in jail and five years' probation Thursday for stealing jewelry, gift cards and other things out of tourists' bags as the items were undergoing security screening at Kahului Airport. Devie Darla Dale Feig... The agency already has reimbursed the victims. "I'm not a bad person. But what I did was wrong. I wanted to say I'm sorry," Feig said ... Deputy Prosecutor Terence Herndon called the case egregious and asked that Feig receive the full 90-day jail term. "I believe... The Maui News. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2327822/posts#comment Sun, 30 Aug 2009 05:06:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2322155/posts Critics of the government's secret no-fly list scored a potentially important victory Monday when a federal appeals court ruled that would-be passengers can ask a judge and jury to decide whether their inclusion on the list violates their rights. In a 2-1 ruling, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco reinstated a suit by a former Stanford University student who was detained and handcuffed in 2005 as she was about to board a plane to her native Malaysia. The ruling is apparently the first to allow a challenge to the no-fly list to proceed in a federal... San Francisco Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2322155/posts#comment Sat, 22 Aug 2009 18:42:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2320469/posts At least six individuals listed by the FBI as possible terrorists also were listed in the FAA database as pilot certificate holders as of this June, according to The New York Times. After the Times questioned the TSA about the situation, the FAA suspended all six certificates. The Times had received the list of names from a small software company that said it found the six by comparing public records, an effort the TSA apparently never made. "The T.S.A. appears not to have taken notice of the terrorists even when two of them turned up on the Federal Bureau of... AvWeb http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2320469/posts#comment Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:58:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2320418/posts Starting this year, Americans will have to get government approval to travel by air. As Privacy Journal revealed last fall, henceforth "Permission Now Needed to Travel Within U.S." Getting a reservation and checking-in for air travel will soon require Transportation Security Administration authorization. That permission is by no means assured: For example, if your name matches a "no-fly" list, even mistakenly, you can be denied the right to a reserve a seat on a flight. If your name is on a "selectee" list, you and your possessions will be searched more thoroughly before you can board. What is going on... Campaign for Liberty http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2320418/posts#comment Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:53:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2313667/posts (This is a self-serving press release put out by TSA today) TSA Updates Summer Travelers On New “Secure Flight” Procedures Taking Effect This Summer New TSA Program Makes Travel Safer & Easier for Passengers by Streamlining the Aviation Watch List Matching Process As the summer vacation travel season continues TSA is educating travelers about new security procedures being introduced and remind them of the reasons behind existing requirements at security checkpoints. The communications effort is an extension of TSA’s national public awareness and education campaign, launched in November 2008, and is designed to build awareness about security procedures so that... TSA News Release http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2313667/posts#comment Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:35:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2305855/posts NEW YORK (CNN) — Authorities have evacuated a concourse of New York’s LaGuardia Airport, a port authority official said Saturday. cnn http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2305855/posts#comment Sat, 1 Aug 2009 11:32:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2305228/posts (AP Photo/Don Ryan)Karen McNutt of Women & Guns has a warning for travelers. You could be traveling by airline with a declared and checked-in gun in your baggage, all perfectly legal, and think you've done everything required of you. Then say something compels you to claim your luggage at a layover airport: perhaps your flight was rerouted, or perhaps there was a delay and they're going to shuttle you to a hotel or an alternate terminal... Don't assume it's safe to claim your suitcase. That could put you in a world of hurt. I came across McNutt's article--one I missed... Gun Rights Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2305228/posts#comment Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:23:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2303672/posts Note: The following text is a quote: Secretary Napolitano Announces $7.7 Million in Recovery Act Funds for Airport Surveillance Release Date: July 28, 2009 For Immediate Release Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced approximately $7.7 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding for the installation of new closed circuit television systems at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International, Ronald Reagan Washington National, Spokane International, Gerald R. Ford International and Boise, Idaho airports. "State-of-the-art surveillance technology provides another critical layer of security at our airports," said Secretary Napolitano. "These projects will inject critical Recovery Act dollars into our... DHS.gov http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2303672/posts#comment Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:48:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2298059/posts TSA Reminds Summer Travelers to be Prepared for Security Press Release July 2, 2009 WASHINGTON – TSA Reminds Summer Travelers to be Prepared for Security As the 4th of July approaches and summer travel heats up, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reminds travelers to be prepared and plan ahead for airport security procedures. To prepare for summer travel, TSA is working with the aviation industry to ensure the highest levels of security for all travelers. TSA also has Family Lanes at every security checkpoint, designed to allow infrequent travelers or those with special needs more time to process through the... TSA.gov - Press Release http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2298059/posts#comment Wed, 22 Jul 2009 06:33:38 GMT