Test
Equipment Screens Airport Workers
The US Transportation Security Administration is running a security test
at Jacksonville International Airport, screening employees every time
they enter a restricted area. If the test shows that airport security
can be improved, then all aviation workers could go through the same screening
as passengers.
In Jacksonville, TSA staff are checking 4,300 workers as many as 10 times
a day before they enter restricted areas, including the airfield and luggage
areas. Although the TSA is running the Congress-ordered test, TSA officials
oppose 100 percent employee screening. One official recommended that training
workers to identify suspicious activity would be a more effective security
measure than constantly screening approximately 900,000 airport employees.
It is estimated that 100 percent screening would cost around $6.5 billion
a year, which is equal to TSA's full annual budget. While employees at
Jacksonville International are rarely delayed by the screening, one security
expert said that some workers resent being screened.
