TSA to Take Over Air Passenger Screening Program

The Transportation Security Administration is going to take over the job of screening airline passengers against terror watch lists as early as 2009, according to a new report.

In an article on the GovExec.com website, Chris Strohm says the so-called Secure Flight program is expected to reduce the number of airline passengers incorrectly identified as being on the watch lists.

“Secure Flight is a critical tool that will further improve aviation security and fix the major customer service issue of watch list misidentifications, a frustratingly common occurrence for travelers under the existing airline-based system,” Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told the publication. “We know that threats to our aviation system persist, and Secure Flight will help us better protect the traveling public while creating a more consistent passenger prescreening process, ultimately reducing the number of misidentification issues.”

But not everyone thinks the change is a good one. The American Civil Liberties Union says that while the department made improvements in privacy protections, it still sees significant problems with the program.

“One problem is the lack of adequate redress for individuals who are mistakenly matched to the secret government watch lists,” the organization told Strohm. “Another unresolved problem is that Secure Flight is predicated upon secret, inaccurate government watch lists.”

Strohm says it is not clear how quickly Secure Flight can be implemented. The department said it will implement the program in phases, with the first phase aimed only at domestic flights.

To read the full article, click here: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=41241&sid=60