"Federal security testing taking place at Minneapolis airport"

Tuesday, May 4, 2004

Federal security testing taking place at airport
The Minneapolis (MN) Star Tribune


Strategically placed video cameras around the Humphrey terminal will
help federal officials test how well they keep people and vehicles from
entering places where passengers don't belong at the Minneapolis-St.
Paul International Airport. 

The airport is one of eight nationwide chosen by the federal
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to deploy a variety of
security systems using equipment ranging from fingerprint readers and
radio-frequency identification to iris-based recognition. Three of the
eight test sites are in Florida. 

At Humphrey, some video cameras will be activated by motion, said Drew
Rhoades, a manager for the federal agency. He also said the agency wants
to know whether the cameras function well in cold weather. 

Rhoades said he didn't know the timing or cost of the project at
Minneapolis-St. Paul, although the federal contract authorizes up to $17
million over 20 months. Unisys is the contractor. 

The TSA already staffs passenger and baggage screening checkpoints at
the Lindbergh and Humphrey terminals. 

Rhoades said the cameras at Humphrey "will reinforce an already very
strong system." The project will be paid for by the TSA. 

The other locations picked by the agency are Boise Air Terminal/ Gowen
Field Airport in Idaho; Miami International Airport; Newark (N.J.)
International Airport; Savannah (Ga.) International Airport; Southwest
Florida International Airport in Fort Myers; T.F. Green State Airport,
Providence, R.I., and Tampa (Fla.) International Airport. 


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