Enhanced Pat Down Procedure Designed to Close Vulnerability at the Checkpoint
News & Happenings
April 9, 2008
Enhanced pat-down procedure videos: (WMV, 1 MB)
In late May 2008, TSA will begin implementing an enhanced pat-down search to resolve vulnerabilities related to items that might be hidden in sensitive areas of the body. These areas are often used by professional testers and terrorists alike to hide potentially lethal items.
This vulnerability was identified by TSA's Office of Inspection and confirmed by covert testing conducted by the Government Accountability Office (pdf, 200kb) and the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General.
More than two million people pass through U.S. airports each day. The vast majority of them flow smoothly through the checkpoint without issue. This new procedure will affect a very small percentage of travelers, but it is a critical element in ensuring the safety of the flying public.
"...we suggested that, among other things, TSA introduce more aggressive, visible, and unpredictable deterrent measures into the passenger screening process at airports nationwide, to potentially include the implementation of enhanced individual search procedures (e.g., pat-downs and hand-wand screening) to detect concealed components; and continue to develop and deploy new technology to be used at passenger screening checkpoints that would be able to better detect concealed components."
- from GAO Report on Aviation Security: Vulnerabilities Exposed Through Covert Testing of TSA's Passenger Screening Process (GAO-08-48T, November 15, 2007).
The enhanced pat-down will be used only after all other screening methods have been used and the alarm remains unresolved. This pat down will include the breast area of women and the groin area of both men and women. Passengers required to undergo this level of screening will be afforded the opportunity to divest all items that could be the source of the alarm before the protocol is used and private screening will be made available. The officers who conduct the searches will receive special training to perform them appropriately and with regard for the privacy concerns of passengers.
This protocol will close the gap on items intentionally placed in sensitive areas to evade detection at the checkpoint, and it will improve officers' ability to detect improvised explosive devices and their components in certain situations. Until technology can be widely deployed to address these areas of the body, the enhanced pat-down is a necessary screening measure.
To mitigate the threat associated with carefully concealed items in the long term, TSA is also working to deploy more whole body imaging technology that will reduce the need for pat-downs. Millimeter wave technology will be launched later this month at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and at LAX in Los Angeles, and later this spring at Baltimore-Washington International - Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI).
- Click here to view CNN's video, "Bomb Sneaking 101". (CNN.com)
Questions and Answers
Q. When will this new procedure be used? Will everyone that is patted down get this enhanced pat-down?
A. This new pat-down will be implemented in late May and is one of several procedures officers have at their disposal to ensure the safety of the traveling public. Prior to conducting this pat-down, all other means of detection will be exhausted, including the walk through metal detector, interaction with behavior detection officers, hand-held metal detector and other less invasive pat-down searches.
This procedure will also be use for individuals that opt to not use the walk through metal detector because of medical conditions.
Q. What exactly does this new pat-down include?
A. This procedure will include patting down sensitive areas of the body that are often used by professional testers and terrorists alike to hide potentially dangerous items. These areas include the breast and groin areas of females and the groin area of males. Whenever necessary, this pat-down will be conducted by same gender officers and the passenger will be offered private screening at their discretion.
Q. Why is TSA implementing this new pat-down now?
A. This pat-down is in direct response to covert testing results from TSA's Office of Inspection, and confirmed by the Government Accountability Office and the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General. These groups have specifically recommended an enhanced pat-down procedure in order to better detect items that could pose a threat to aircraft.
As the ongoing terror trial in London clearly illustrates, terrorists actively look for ways to manipulate security protocols. Intelligence has also shown for decades, terrorists' manipulation of societal norms to evade detection or use social engineering techniques to their advantage. Terrorists have successfully hidden explosives in these areas in the past, including recently in Sri Lanka and in 2005 in Chechnya when female terrorists downed two Russian airliners.
Q. How did TSA come up with this new pat-down?
A. Using results from covert tests and recommendations by the Government Accountability Office, DHS IG and TSA's Office of Inspection, TSA developed this pat down as a measure to close the gap on items hidden on sensitive areas of the body.
Q. How confident is TSA that this new procedure will address your concerns/how effective is this new procedure?
A. This protocol will increase the safety of the traveling public by significantly improving our ability to detect improvised explosive devices and their components in certain situations. Until we can widely deploy whole body imaging technology, this procedure will be necessary.
The security checkpoint is one of 21 important, interlocking layers of aviation security.
Q. How does this enhanced pat-down guarantee more safety?
A. This new procedure better enables officers to identify and detect hidden items in the most sensitive areas of the body.
Q. Do whole body imagers eliminate the need for this procedure? Is this procedure in place at airports with whole body imagers?
A. Whole body imagers give officers the ability to conduct this type of screening without ever touching the passenger. As whole body imagers are more widely deployed, they could replace some of the pat-downs currently in use.
Q. Where is this new pat-down going to occur?
A. Passengers will be given the option of remaining in the security checkpoint or going to a private screening area.
Q. How does TSA weigh privacy concerns versus security?
A. TSA carefully weighed privacy versus security while considering this change. This protocol will increase the safety of the traveling public by significantly improving our ability to detect improvised explosive devices and their components in certain situations.
Prior to conducting this pat-down, all other means of detection will be exhausted, including the walk through metal detector, interaction with behavior detection officers, hand-held metal detector and other less invasive pat-down searches.
Q. Will these new procedures add to wait times?
A. No. We do not expect this procedure to affect wait times in any way.
