CDI Fact Sheet:
Transportation Security Agency (TSA)

Since its creation just over a year ago, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has faced the difficult challenge of increasing travel security procedures while maintaining traveler mobility. The TSA was signed into law by President George W. Bush on Nov. 19, 2001, as part of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act. In fiscal year 2002, TSA had a budget of $1.345 billion. In 2003, it has received a major budget increase, to $4.8 billion. The Aviation and Transportation Security Act, which established tough new guidelines for increasing traveler security, came into effect on Dec. 31, 2002.

With the signing of the act, airport security came under direct federal responsibility for the first time in airline history. Strict new requirements have been adopted to screen checked baggage. At airports, a new security force of federally-employed managers, supervisors, law enforcement officers and screeners is posted to check passengers and carry-on bags. TSA hired 23,000 baggage screeners and 33,000 passenger screeners to help shoulder the load. At least 40 percent of passenger screeners are women, so they could be assigned to searching female travelers with a hand-held metal detector. The TSA currently employs a total numbers of 64,000 people, working under the supervision of a new undersecretary of Transportation Security - Adm. James M. Loy, formerly of the Coast Guard.

According to TSA officials, the nascent agency brought in several private-sector advisors to help them improve the efficiency of operations. For example, the airport system of lining up passengers was redesigned by reconfiguring checkpoints with winding "serpentine queues," which didn't look as long or seem as slow as straight lines. To further speed up the search process and avoid the risk of a secret exchange of illegal items by a passenger who had set off the metal detector, a "corral" area was set up so that a passenger was separated from other travelers and searched in a separate space.

Explosives Detection Machines (ETDs) have been installed at many of the country's airports, which can detect 15 categories of chemicals. CAT scanners, priced at $750,000 a piece were installed at 429 airports so all of the 1.5 billion bags checked annually at American airports would be inspected. Every piece of check-in luggage must now be swabbed for chemical traces and explosives. Local authorities could opt to bring in outside security experts, a technique that had been used in Israel and Western Europe. TSA also makes use of bomb-sniffing dogs, which receive 11 weeks of training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas before being assigned to a handler. Congress authorized spending $6 million on the program, and federal officials expect to have bomb-sniffing dogs on duty at 83 airports in the United States by the end of 2003. Passengers at 85 U.S. airports are now required to have a boarding pass in hand before they can clear security checkpoints. The number of airports implementing the new TSA rule has more than doubled in the last month.

As part of its efforts to increase security, TSA plans to develop a profiling system named CAPPS II, a network of supercomputers intended to instantly assess every passenger's background for potential ties to terrorism. CAPPS II, short for second-generation Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System, will analyze passengers' travel reservations, housing information, family ties, identifying details in credit reports and other personal information to determine if they're "rooted in the [terrorist] community" or have an unusual history that indicates a potential threat.

The transition to new guidelines went off without any major hitches during the first week of January. On Jan. 4, the first Saturday after New Year's, and one of the busiest airport days of the year, spot checks at several airports around the country showed no major delays caused by the new security measures.

Neither the TSA nor the airlines will accept liability for goods lost or damaged during the screening process, which has prompted complains from some airline travelers. The TSA says it is responding to the complaints by developing a policy under which it and its "airline partners" would be liable for stolen or damaged items. To avoid theft, TSA also plans to make sure that whenever a bag is hand-searched, it will be done with multiple workers in the room, not a single screener. The agency also plans to install video cameras in all 429 commercial airports to monitor screener activities. At the current time, TSA spokesperson said, it intends to deal with claims on a case-by-case basis.

Recently, the agency has announced plans to pay more attention to securing railways, buses, ports and pipelines. "Inconsistent security measures will only direct terrorists from one transportation mode to another with lesser security," said Loy in a speech to transportation officials on January 15.

 
MAJOR TSA CONTRACTS

IT Managed Services
Prime: Unisys Corp., Blue Bell, Pa.
Value: $1 billion

Purpose: Unisys is responsible for building and operating the information technology infrastructure for all of TSA. The first two task orders under the contract are worth $244 million over the next year. Major teammates are IBM Corporation and DynCorp. There also are 28 other companies on the team.

The contract is performance based. If the agency and Unisys meet their objectives, Unisys gets a 5 percent bonus. If TSA doesn't meet its objectives but Unisys does, no bonus is paid. If TSA meets its objectives but Unisys doesn't, Unisys pays a 2.5 percent fee. If neither TSA nor Unisys meet their objectives, Unisys pays a 5 percent fee.

Unisys also will act as the agency's clearinghouse for new technology ideas. Companies that want to present a possible solution to TSA must go through an evaluation by Unisys first.

Explosives Detection Systems
Primes: Boeing Co., Chicago, and Siemens Corp., New York.
Value: $1.37 billion

Purpose: The team led by Boeing and Siemens will install and maintain explosives detection systems at more than 400 U.S. airports. The team also is responsible for training 30,000 airport baggage-screening employees. Federal law mandates that all baggage undergo screening by Dec. 31.

The contract also includes options for another five years to support the equipment. The contract requires the team to complete studies of passenger movement, architectural designs, structural changes and to coordinate the supply of 1,100 explosive detection system machines and up to 6,000 explosive trace detection devices.

Strategic Airport Security Rollout
Prime: Lockheed Martin Corp., Bethesda, Md.
Value: $490 million

Purpose: Support and coordinate the rollout of new security procedures at more than 400 U.S. airports as airport security is taken over by federal employees. Responsibilities include reviewing work-stream processes, evaluating resource needs, developing a master plan and schedules and helping TSA communicate the plan to law enforcement, other government agencies and the private sector.

Lockheed Martin also is responsible for project management, training and installation of new equipment.

Human Resources Support
Prime: NCS Pearson Inc.
Value: $103.4 million

Purpose: A nine-month contract to recruit, qualify and hire 30,000 people to work as airport screeners, law enforcement officers and in other TSA positions.

 
Sources

Ken Kaye, "Screening Improvements on the Way, Agency Says," Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Jan. 20, 2003.

Transportation Security Administration

Stephen Barr, "Plenty of Tough Issues at Homeland Security Department" The Washington Post, Jan. 21, 2003, p.B2

Kevin Flynn, "Air Travelers Face New Boarding Procedures" Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO), Jan. 14, 2003, p.10A

Evamarie Socha, "Doing Business with the Transportation Security Administration" Washington Technology

 

Vsevolod Gunitskiy CDI Research Assistant vgunitsky@cdi.org

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