"DIA lines symptom of bigger problem"

Thursday, July 31, 2003

Commentary
DIA lines symptom of bigger problem
By Diana DeGette
The Denver (CO) Post


Along with unseasonable heat, this summer has also brought unreasonably long
waits at security screening checkpoints for passengers at Denver
International Airport. 

These delays have the potential to cause serious economic harm to our
airport - an important part of the region's economy - and hurt the airline
industry just as it emerges from a deep recession.

This, however, is a problem that could have been avoided.

The long lines at DIA are the result of shortsighted decisions by the
Transportation Security Administration, the federal agency created following
the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, to take over airport passenger and
baggage screening.

Like other government agencies across the nation, the TSA was faced this
spring with a decline in funding. As a result, Congress ordered the agency
to cut its budget by $32 million in 2003 and $288 million in 2004.

The TSA could have accomplished this in any number of ways, including
reducing overhead and office expenditures. This would have allowed to TSA to
meet new budget constraints and not compromised its mission of ensuring the
security of airline passengers without unduly impeding their freedom to
travel.

Unfortunately, senior officials instead chose to reduce the number of
airport security screeners - the people on the front lines of protecting our
airports and the traveling public.

As a result, on May 1, TSA officials announced they would eliminate 6,000
security screeners nationwide, including 197, or 19 percent, of DIA's 1,043
screeners.

In deciding which airports would have a reduction in screeners, the models
the TSA used to plan the cuts did not appear to consider seasonal
fluctuation, recent increases or declines, or daily and hourly fluctuations
in airport use.

Even before the cuts in security screeners at Denver's airport, there was
only one screener for every 41 passengers. This was higher than the average
ratio for the airports in DIA's category. The reductions only made this
ratio worse.

As a result, some larger airports, including DIA, found themselves with too
few security screeners to meet the demand while other, particularly smaller
airports had numerous screeners and very few passengers.

For an agency charged with protecting the nation's passenger air travel
infrastructure, this is not what was supposed to happen less than two years
after Sept. 11 changed how we viewed airport security.

Instead of taking the time to determine whether other cuts could be made at
the TSA to avoid eliminating front-line homeland security personnel, the
agency's administrators appear to have acted in haste. Cuts were implemented
without sufficient regard to either airport use or how to adjust the new
staffing levels to meet passenger use at DIA or other busy airports.

As a result, travelers during DIA's busiest times face hour-long lines, and
too few security screeners are forced to monitor too many passengers.

During slow periods, these same screeners are underused.

Homeland security should not be compromised because of poor planning by
federal government administrators. I continue to work, along with some of my
colleagues in the Colorado congressional delegation, with the TSA to find a
short-term solution to the lines at DIA.

More important for the long-term success of TSA, however, the agency must
stay focused on meeting its mission of providing passengers security and
convenience.

This includes the creation of a more dynamic modeling system to accurately
anticipate airport usage.

Most importantly, however, the TSA must always ensure that it maintains
sufficient numbers of screeners at the front line of homeland security - at
security checkpoints - of every airport.

Congresswoman Diana DeGette is serving her fourth term as the representative
of Colorado's 1st Congressional District, which includes Denver
International Airport.


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