What Is TSA?
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was created in the wake of 9/11 to strengthen the security of the nation’s transportation systems while ensuring the freedom of movement for people and commerce. Within a year, TSA assumed responsibility for security at the nation’s airports and deployed a federal workforce to screen all commercial airline passengers and baggage. In March 2003, TSA transitioned from the Department of Transportation to the Department of Homeland Security.
TSA employs a risk-based strategy to secure U.S. transportation systems, working closely with stakeholders in aviation, rail, transit, highway, and pipeline sectors, as well as the partners in the law enforcement and intelligence community. The agency continuously sets the standard for excellence in transportation security through its people, processes, technologies and use of intelligence to drive operations.
TSA is committed to evolving its systems to enhance the safety of the traveling public as well as individual passenger experiences whenever possible.
Who We Are
- TSA’s nearly 50,000 Transportation Security Officers screen more than 1.7 million passengers each day at more than 450 airports nationwide.
- TSA deploys approximately 2,800 Behavior Detection Officers at airports across the country, leading to more than 2,200 arrests to date.
- TSA utilizes more than 400 TSA explosives specialists in aviation and multimodal environments.
- Thousands of Federal Air Marshals are deployed every day on domestic and international flights.
- TSA has trained and deployed approximately 800 explosives detection canine teams to airports and mass transit systems nationwide.
What We Do
TSA screens approximately more than 1.7 million passengers a day and has detected more than 1,000 firearms during airport security screening this year. - To date, approximately 500 advanced imaging technology machines are deployed at airports nationwide, leading to the detection of prohibited, illegal or dangerous items. To further enhance privacy protections, TSA has installed new software on millimeter wave units that automatically detect potential threats using a generic outline of a person for all passengers.
- TSA has detected approximately 1,100 firearms in carry-on bags at security checkpoints nationwide in 2011.
- TSA conducts 100 percent air cargo screening on domestic and international-outbound passenger aircraft, implementing a key security requirement of the 9/11 Act.
- Since the agency’s inception, TSA has screened approximately 4 billion checked bags for explosives.
- TSA’s Secure Flight program conducts terrorist watch list matching of passengers on 100 percent of domestic and international airlines for flights to, from, and within the United States, which fulfills a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission Report.
- TSA continues to evolve its risk-based, intelligence-driven approach to security to further enhance the safety of the traveling public.
- Currently, the agency is testing the pre-screening program
in partnership with select airports and airlines to provide expedited screening for qualified passengers who volunteer to participate. - TSA modified its screening procedures for passengers ages 12 and under to allow officers to better focus on those who pose a higher risk to transportation security.
- TSA conducts daily background checks on over 15 million transportation-related employees working in or seeking access to the Nation’s transportation system.
- DHS has allocated nearly $2 billion to mass transit security in federal grant money, including system security enhancements for Amtrak since 2005.
- To date, TSA has conducted more than 20,000 Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response operations– utilizing teams who work in collaboration with local law enforcement and other security officials to keep travelers safe.
- Since TSA’s inception, 2 million maritime workers who require unescorted access to secure areas of ships and maritime facilities have passed a thorough background check and received a biometric Transportation Worker Identification Credential.
