Should Airports Use "Smart Screening"?

[kgoerz]

Originally Posted by CSB

For a well executed security system, you need look no farther than El-Al Israeli Airlines for international flights. You are individually taken, alone, into an interview room, where the interviewer (who has complete knowledge of your name, address, your ticket, your seatmates, how and where the ticket was purchased, luggage checked or otherwise, your passport, etc.) asks you a series of questions.

While looking you square in the eye.

That's smart screening.

I remember being questioned once by a beautiful agent who, if she had wanted to do a full body search of me would have met with no objection whatsoever (but certainly a request for equal time) and during the questioning she asked me:

"Has anyone given you anything to carry on the airplane? A package? A parcel, perhaps?"

And I said "Of course not."

And she smiled warmly and said: "You mean 'of course not' that you wouldn't take such a parcel, not 'of course not' for my asking."

We are not Isreal! It's a lot easier for them. Compare the number of Airports and daily flights to the U.S. They cover the amount of flights equal to one of our major Airports. We have one or more Airports and numbers of flights to Israel in everyone of our States.

[G]

Originally Posted by kgoerz

We are not Isreal! It's a lot easier for them. Compare the number of Airports and daily flights to the U.S. They cover the amount of flights equal to one of our major Airports. We have one or more Airports and numbers of flights to Israel in everyone of our States.

Kgoerz,

You're right....even though their system is far more effective, the problem would be the cost. I don't believe the US can afford to pay the higher wages (and for the training) for the vast number of security agents that would be required.

Maybe it's worth closely examining how they operate, extract the parts that are scalable, and build it into a new system?

By the way, don't just focus on Ben Gurion / Tel Aviv airport; the Israelis screen passengers getting onto their flights at every airport worldwide that their airlines fly to / from. So from a logistical point of view, they have screening people at every check-in for El Al in the US, UK, Europe, Africa and Asia. Where they cannot screen people their way, they do not fly. It's an impressive system.

G

[nmap]

Originally Posted by G

I don't believe the US can afford to pay the higher wages (and for the training) for the vast number of security agents that would be required.

Perhaps part of this is the low-priced ticket model that seems to be in place within the U.S. I cannot help but wonder how the cost of the Israeli model would compare with the current U.S. approach.

If we combined excellent (albeit expensive) security along with a few amenities to make the travel experience more pleasant, we might find that travelers were delighted to make the switch.

[Richard]

FWIW - the Israeli model came into existance when it became evident that the Israeli's could trust nobody to look our for their safety/self-interests and their government made the decision to protect their interests no matter the cost. To that end, El Al does the following:

• Their aircraft have specific modifications
• Their agents (world-wide) and crews are Israeli
• Their aircraft are only serviced by Israelis
• Their security personnel (world-wide) are entirely Israeli
• Their citizens and equipment all have military obligations

Expensive - but - a must from their point-of-view.

שלום לכל המבקשים אותו

And so it goes...

Richard's $.02

[hoepoe]

Originally Posted by Richard

FWIW - the Israeli model came into existance when it became evident that the Israeli's could trust nobody to look our for their safety/self-interests and their government made the decision to protect their interests no matter the cost. To that end, El Al does the following:

• Their aircraft have specific modifications
• Their agents (world-wide) and crews are Israeli
• Their aircraft are only serviced by Israelis
• Their security personnel (world-wide) are entirely Israeli
• Their citizens and equipment all have military obligations

Expensive - but - a must from their point-of-view.

שלום לכל המבקשים אותו

And so it goes...

Richard's $.02

There will be computerized semi-auto security profiling procedures at Ben Gurion airport soon....will be interesting to see.

H

Originally Posted by Richard

FWIW - the Israeli model came into existance when it became evident that the Israeli's could trust nobody to look our for their safety/self-interests and their government made the decision to protect their interests no matter the cost. To that end, El Al does the following:

• Their aircraft have specific modifications
• Their agents (world-wide) and crews are Israeli
• Their aircraft are only serviced by Israelis
• Their security personnel (world-wide) are entirely Israeli
• Their citizens and equipment all have military obligations

Expensive - but - a must from their point-of-view.

שלום לכל המבקשים אותו

And so it goes...

Richard's $.02

CNN had a vid short on exactly the profiling and procedues to fly out of Israel.
The several levels of security one must get through to fly. It is efficient, to the point, and works. They do profile and they like to talk directly to you, focus on you. Not your shoes, liquids or undies. I like that model and think it should be implemented here in the States. Quite obviously our model involves heavily on reaction rather than proaction. It also is not working, time to look at what does work.

I would, however, like to see a cost comparison analysis of the Israeli vs US current methods of airport security. I bet the Israeli method, over time, is cheaper.

AM

[greenberetTFS]

Originally Posted by armymom1228

CNN had a vid short on exactly the profiling and procedues to fly out of Israel.
The several levels of security one must get through to fly. It is efficient, to the point, and works. They do profile and they like to talk directly to you, focus on you. Not your shoes, liquids or undies. I like that model and think it should be implemented here in the States. Quite obviously our model involves heavily on reaction rather than proaction. It also is not working, time to look at what does work.

I would, however, like to see a cost comparison analysis of the Israeli vs US current methods of airport security. I bet the Israeli method, over time, is cheaper.

AM

I have to agree with AM,In the long run,I'd bet the Israeli way is better.............

Big Teddy

[Richard]

Based upon my experiences with the TSA, the term 'smart screening' sounds like an update of that most famous of misnomers - 'military intelligence.'

Richard's jaded $.02

[G]

Originally Posted by Richard

FWIW - the Israeli model came into existance when it became evident that the Israeli's could trust nobody to look our for their safety/self-interests and their government made the decision to protect their interests no matter the cost. To that end, El Al does the following:

• Their aircraft have specific modifications
• Their agents (world-wide) and crews are Israeli
• Their aircraft are only serviced by Israelis
• Their security personnel (world-wide) are entirely Israeli
• Their citizens and equipment all have military obligations

Expensive - but - a must from their point-of-view.

שלום לכל המבקשים אותו

And so it goes...

Richard's $.02

A few reasons why no one else is trusted:

Attack on El Al Check-In, Vienna Airport 27 December 1985 - Even though the airport was full of police and a CT team, not one round was fired by Austrian Police etc. Israeli ground security grabbed magazines from stunned Austrian Police Officers for their Browning P35's when they ran short of ammo. I recall seeing news footage of an Austrian cop recounting how he lay on his police dog "to protect it"

Attack on El Al Check-In, Rome Airport 27 December 1985 - Italian Airport Police open fire indiscriminately with smg's in response to the attack and cause many casualties.

Attack on El Al Check-In, LAX 4 July 2002 - Not one round fired by LAPD / LAX Police - El Al air marshall works his way through the crowd heading to the sound of shooting; neutralises attacker.

Take Care

G

[Richard]

Unforeseen consequences of 'smart screening'...apparently it's not only the small hat sizes which are a problem with TSA screeners.

For Airport Security, Size Matters
Cops: New high-tech screener triggered fight over manhood insult

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive...06101tsa1.html

And so it goes...

Richard's $.02

[Slantwire]

Originally Posted by nmap

Perhaps part of this is the low-priced ticket model that seems to be in place within the U.S. I cannot help but wonder how the cost of the Israeli model would compare with the current U.S. approach.

If we combined excellent (albeit expensive) security along with a few amenities to make the travel experience more pleasant, we might find that travelers were delighted to make the switch.

Given the cost of the deploying the new scanning equipment du jour nationwide every time someone makes an attempt, I wonder if the Israeli approach is, in fact, more expensive.