"U.S. extends deadline to switch screeners"

Tuesday, November 16, 2004

U.S. extends deadline to switch screeners
By LESLIE MILLER
The Associated Press


WASHINGTON -- The government is making it easier for airports to replace
federal baggage and passenger screeners with privately employed workers.

A three-week period for airports to apply to make the switch, scheduled to
begin Thursday, will be extended indefinitely, the Transportation Security
Administration has decided.

"We're ready to work with any airport that prefers to have contractor
screeners," TSA chief David Stone said in a statement dated Tuesday.

Under the direction of the TSA, airports switched from privately employed
screeners to an all-government work force after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Though many airport directors say they're happy with the change, others
think private contractors can do a better job.

They say the federal bureaucracy allows too little flexibility to reassign
workers to handle surges in air travel, sometimes resulting in long waits at
security checkpoints.
 
Steve van Beek, executive vice president of the Airports Council
International, which represents airport officials, said he knew of about 20
airports interested in returning to private screeners.

Rep. John Mica, chairman of the House Transportation aviation subcommittee,
said private screeners would be paid the same and have the same
qualifications as federal screeners.

"This does not mean a return to having the airlines conduct screening
without federal supervision," said Mica, a Florida Republican.

Oregon Rep. Peter DeFazio, ranking Democrat on the subcommittee, said
private companies won't solve airport screening problems.

"It isn't going to save the taxpayers money, and it isn't going to improve
screening," DeFazio said. One of the screeners' biggest problems is outdated
technology that makes it hard to find dangerous items, he said.

"There's not much to recommend it, except someone somewhere will make a
profit on security screening," DeFazio said.

Five airports - in San Francisco; Tupelo, Miss.; Rochester, N.Y.; Kansas
City, Mo.; and Jackson Hole, Wyo. - already use private screeners under a
pilot program. All five plan to continue with private screeners.

Van Beek said the companies that employ the screeners have found innovative
ways to use workers efficiently.

At San Francisco International Airport video cameras are trained on all the
checkpoints so workers can be moved quickly to those where backups are
developing.

Hiring private screeners might be especially attractive to small airports
because they'll be able to hire the screeners themselves without going
through a private company, van Beek said. Jackson Hole Airport, one of the
five in the pilot program, now is the only airport in the country that hires
its own screeners.

Airports that switch to private screeners will be able to switch back to
government workers if they choose.

On the Net:

Transportation Security Administration: http://www.tsa.gov

House Transportation aviation subcommittee:
http://www.house.gov/transportation/aviation/


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