A Brief Note On The Aviation And Transportation Security Act

In society today many citizens feel violated with the security methods taken by homeland security. “On September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the United States marked the beginning of the global war on terrorism. The methods used are justifiable as they provide protection against possible threats or attacks. This attack on U.S. soil increased surveillance of both American citizens and foreign nationals” (Andrew, C., & Walter,

Nonetheless, privacy groups, such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ALCU), continue to express concern over potential intrusion on individual rights and alleged cases of sexual harassment and abuse of passengers, particularly female passengers, by TSA screeners. These concerns, however, raise a significant challenge for the TSA: to maintain high levels of security, which require resolving all alarms and screening in detail those passengers ascertained to pose an elevated security risk, while maintaining the privacy rights and dignity of passengers identified for these secondary

Another measure TSA took was to add body scanners to security. These scanners can see what a person is carrying underneath their clothes. There have been a few different designs to this machine due to some lawsuits in the past brought up because the TSA agents were making fun of a man’s gentile size or certain passengers would feel embarrassed because someone can see their bodies. Now what the TSA agent sees is an outline of the passenger’s body and whatever is on the body. The body scanner does not show a naked person anymore.

According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics a total of 631,939,829 passengers boarded domestic flights in the United States in the year 2010. This averages to 1.73 million passengers flying per day (Cessoni.) All of these people must go through security checkpoints provided by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA.) TSA’s history, cost, and specific purpose are ideas I will discuss further.

For some residents, the reluctance to give up freedoms is a reflection of their belief that terrorists will succeed no matter what. However, according to a poll run by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, ⅔ of Americans say it’s appropriate to sacrifice some privacy and freedom in the fight against terrorism. People worry that giving up one freedom will lead to the loss of others. They believe that the one time someone does not get scanned at an airport or does not get their luggage checked it will be detrimental to society. With 9/11 still at the back of everyone’s minds, people do not want to risk our national

Shortly after 9/11 twelve years ago, the federal government created the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to protect air travel and prevent similar attacks. In 2012, the TSA had a budget of $8.1 billion, and while it claims to improve airport security, it fails to do so. Additionally, their checkpoints are privacy-invasive and cumbersome, negatively impacting the air travel industry. For these reasons, the agency should be abolished.

Debate continues over interpretation of fourth amendment rights as applied to the Transportations Security Administration’s (TSA) use of full body scanners. In the opinion article appearing in the Washington Post, Rosen clearly defines the arguments against full body or naked scanners attempting to sway public opinion and thus, swaying a potential supreme court decision regarding its use as a violation of the Fourth Amendment (2010). Not only does this article point out the level of invasiveness and the ineffectiveness of naked scanners but, also provides less intrusive methods that could be used in its place.

Through the history of aviation the importance of airport security has steadily increased. Since the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, many changes have taken place at airports to prevent such an attack from occurring again. The purpose of this paper is to: outline airport security procedures, discuss the different technologies involved with airport security, as well as examine the components of airport security. In addition I will also discuss the Transportation Security Administration’s role in our nation’s airport security.

Individual Privacy vs. National Security is something that many people have argued for years. Many people have forgotten what a disturbance September 11, 2001 was to everyone in America. This was the day that 2,992 lives were stolen in the attacks by the Taliban on U.S. soil. Due to this attack the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) along with the Federal Government has put in place many new security regulations. Many people have lost touch with why these regulations were put in place. As well, many people have lost touch with why TSA is using full body scanners and other security devices.

In our time, the Transportation Security Administration is an integral part of airports in the United States. One cannot simply travel on a plane without going through the metal detectors or being instructed to take off his or her shoes to check for bombs. Many travelers regard the TSA to be a hassle, as it adds hours into the process of boarding a flight. Some treat it as a necessary evil; they believe that the presence of the TSA is needed to offset the vulnerable state of airports. However, the need for safety does not mean that the TSA is completely justified. The Transportation Security Administration fails to do its job in serving the public. Its policies and practices infringe on people’s privacy, have questionable effectiveness, and pose health risks, while its employees behave unprofessionally and have inadequate training for their jobs. Alternative security measures and internal reform will help the Transportation Security Administration do its job better and raise public opinion.

The movement of millions of passengers over distances thought impossible decades ago is symbolic of the modern air transportation era that is characterized by speed, comfort and personal convenience. The commerce of aviation, both the operation of commercial aircraft for profit and the development of aeronautical systems, is also an important symbol of national prestige and a powerful economic force. Safety in air transportation is therefore a matter of significant national importance.

Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, many observers observed that "things will never be the same again," and in many ways, they were right. Indeed, the American flag now flies from many homes that never sported one before, and the global war on terrorism has succeeded in bringing a number of international terrorists to justice. Not all of the changes that took place post-9-11, though, were positive and one issue in particular continues to draw criticisms from American and international observers alike and this issue is the increased air security that has been put in place. Although the level of civil liberties in the United States has always tended to wax and wane in response to perceived threats to the nation's security, Americans had historically enjoyed virtually unrestricted flights prior to September 11, 2001. The headlines are replete with complaints about the Transportation Security Administration and its draconian "pat-down" policies that some critics maintain violate fundamental Fourth Amendment rights. What most Americans do not realize, though, and what this paper intends to demonstrate, is that even with these changes in place, United States citizens enjoy a far less restrictive environment than many of their counterparts from other industrialized nations, and the measures that have been put in place are succeeding in protecting Americans from further terrorist attacks. To this end, this paper presents a review of the literature

When it comes to airport security methods there is conflicting views on it. Are they the best method used by the government for a passenger’s safety or are there better methods available were passengers feel the same amount of safety. Full body scans along with pat-downs are the methods used by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to ensure the safety of passengers before boarding a plane. The common metal detector is now not enough to provide a clear and effective solution to what a passenger is carrying on them before boarding. Passengers have felt that the TSA and the scans violate the Fourth Amendment and the Privacy Act because they are required to at least go through one search method in order to board a plane.. As a result of this there are mixed views some leading to lawsuits and one’s health is being question with these methods being used.

There are several challenges in aviation security that I will discuss in this paper. The challenges in aviation security are identify the security threat, securing perimeter, and The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening related to passenger flow. I will also discuss possible solutions to each challenge that may be used in the future of aviation. Security could vary from place to place, so in this paper I will discuss the challenges within in the United States.

Over the past five months, airline and airport security has been in the news almost daily. The events on and since September 11 have completely changed the viewpoints of many Americans, as well as the world, concerning airline security. Between the 18 suicide hijackers to Richard “the shoe bomber” Reid and the many other terrorists that lurk in the world, flying is definitely not as safe as it once was. I strongly believe that security in airports should be much more strict than it is now, even if it infringes on the people’s right to privacy. The last part of that statement is the point of clash for many people because they strongly believe in privacy rights.