Tougher Background Checks Will Make Skies Safer
Last March, an airline employee in Orlando, Fla., was caught sneaking guns and marijuana onto a plane. The arrest of the man, who was sentenced last month to 15 years in prison, highlights the need for more stringent background checks of licensed airport workers.
While air passengers have become accustomed to going through the security checkpoints put into place after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the logistics of operating an airport make similar requirements for all employees virtually impossible. That is why it is so important that workers go through thorough background screening before being hired to work at airports.
We hope those checks become stricter next month when the Transportation Security Administration takes over the job of investigating the backgrounds of approximately 1.2 million licensed aviation workers. The checks had been handled by the Federal Aviation Administration since 9/11.
The switch comes as the Department of Homeland Security is seeking to crack down on the possibility of an attack being perpetrated by workers who are not required to go through security checkpoints to get on an airplane or enter a sensitive area.
Under the TSA, every licensed aviation worker will be checked against the federal government’s complete terror watch list, which is operated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The FAA only has utilized a partial list in its screening of 21 types of FAA licensees, including flight instructors, air-traffic controllers, dispatchers and flight engineers.
The TSA already conducts background checks on many non-licensed airport employees, such as baggage handlers and store clerks. We think having licensed employees go through the same process will help make security more consistent and tighter.
With the new system, licensed aviation workers will be rechecked every time the Terrorist Screening Center’s database is updated, helping ensure that employees’ information is matched against the latest available data. The FAA currently only checks people when they apply for an aviation worker licenses. Limited resources prevent the agency from conducting ongoing updates.
We agree with TSA officials that the new process will raise the baseline of security at the nation’s airports and help passengers feel a little safer when they head off into the sky.
Source: http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071205/OPINION01/712050301