"Screeners to Be Changed at U.S. Airports"

Monday, August 14, 2006

Screeners to Be Changed at U.S. Airports 
By ERIC LIPTON and CHRISTINE HAUSER
The New York (NY) Times


WASHINGTON, - Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Sunday that
he intended to replace contractors who inspect passenger identification at
airport checkpoints with staff members from the Transportation Security
Administration, a move that would be one of the biggest expansions of the
agency's tasks since it was set up in the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist
attacks.

Mr. Chertoff's comments, in an interview on Sunday, came as the T.S.A. took
two steps to lower the level of the terror alert. First, it eased
restrictions on items that were banned from being taken on board airplanes
in carry-on luggage, in the aftermath of last week's foiled plot to blow up
airplanes flying from Britain to the United States. On Sunday night, it
adjusted the threat level on inbound flights from Britain to "orange," or
high, from "red," or severe.

"The security measures already taken have allowed us to address an imminent
threat of attack," Mr. Chertoff said in a statement on Sunday night. "Let me
be clear: This does not mean the threat is over. The investigation continues
to follow all leads." 

Details of the plan to replace the contractors were still being worked out.
But Mr. Chertoff said the transportation agency screeners would be trained
in psychological profiling under the plan, which he intends to announce in
the coming weeks or months. 

Currently, the contractors who handle the precheckpoint processing of
identification documents are hired by airlines. Transportation agency
screeners, in addition to handling checkpoint security, also do the simple,
labor-intensive task of picking up checked-in bags and placing them into
scanning machines before they are loaded onto planes.

Under the plan, contractors would take over the manual labor of handling the
checked bags, although federal screeners would continue to interpret images
for possible threats. But the switch would free up enough screeners to do
the identity checks and behavior analyses of passengers waiting to go
through security.

Mr. Chertoff said administration officials would have to work with the
airports on any additional costs and on administrative transition. "It is
going to require a larger conversation," said Ellen Howe, a transportation
agency spokeswoman. "We would like to consider shifting responsibility" of
agency staff "from baggage handling to security."

The new rules for airline travelers, which went into effect at noon on
Sunday, revise the restrictions that were announced Thursday. 

Under the revised rules, beverages, shampoo, lotions, toothpaste, aerosols,
hair gels, contact lens solutions, perfumes and nail polish remain
prohibited. 

Passengers may carry on small doses of prescription drugs if the patient's
name matches the name on the airline ticket, as well as baby formula, breast
milk and baby food for passengers traveling with an infant or small child.
The rules also allow up to four ounces of nonprescription liquid medication,
and up to eight ounces of liquid or gel insulin. Most cosmetics must be
placed in checked baggage, but solid lipstick will be allowed in carry-ons.

The rules will also require passengers to remove their shoes for screening.
Previously, this was "strongly recommended," Ms. Howe said. 

She said the agency already had observers, trained under a pilot program in
the past few years, who monitored passengers at checkpoints for involuntary
cues that might indicate suspicious behavior. 

"Since last week when the level increased, we have devoted extra resources
to assist with the ticket checker functions to have that behavior
observation going on at the front of the line," Ms. Howe said. 

This monitoring was going on at about a dozen airports before Thursday's
warning. "We are going to consider expanding it," she said. 

Ms. Howe said the changes were meant to increase efficiency without
compromising security. Wait times at security checkpoints have dropped, and
there were fewer bins full off discarded banned items from Thursday to
Friday, she said.

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