Posted on 08/20/2006 8:30:43 AM PDT by aculeus
ELITE teams of security officers are to be trained to monitor passenger behaviour at airports in a new attempt to combat terrorism.
The “behaviour detection squads” will patrol terminals to monitor the gestures, conversations and facial expressions of passengers. One of their aims will be to spot those who may be concealing fear or anxiety.
People deemed to be acting suspiciously will be taken for questioning and prevented from flying if they fail to explain their actions.
UK trainers have studied the techniques in America, where behaviour detection squads are already deployed at airports.
The plan is part of an overhaul of passenger screening. Instead of solely relying on searches to uncover weapons and bombs, airport authorities are increasingly seeking to pinpoint the terrorists themselves.
In the long run, passengers flying from international hubs such as Heathrow and Gatwick could even face a lie-detector test before they board.
In America behaviour detection officers are working at a dozen airports, including Washington Dulles and Boston Logan. The programme, called Screening Passengers by Observation Technique, or Spot, is run by the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
“There are infinite ways to find things to use as a weapon and infinite ways to hide them,” said Kip Hawley, the director of the TSA. “But if you can identify the individual, it’s by far the better way to find the threat.”
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
Good to know this is happening.
Yup.
And it gives new meaning to the term flying squad :)
Passengers who are Muslims between the ages of 17 and 40 would be a good start.
This should have been SOP worldwide, on 9-12-01, IMO. Screw the profiling crap protesters!
I'd like to know why this wasn't implemented already?
Yes, and males in particular.
I get anxious that TSA perverts will grope my wife and daughter. I'm afraid they will give those in Muslim garb a pass but search me, a bona fide American. So, am I going to set off the Spot squad? If this was not so serious a plight for America, One sees Homeland Security and Swat teams that assault innocent passengers as the modern Keystone Cops.
That would be foolish ... the latest rage is female suicide bombers, and females hiding bombs in baby gear.
Passengers and flight crew have been doing this since 911. When it is your life on the line, people have a knack for zeroing in on things "just not right".
Sounds good to me! Two thumbs way up!
We should have "teams" and require the screeners and behavior monitors to fly with the passengers they searched or monitored.
Thanks a bunch Times of Londonistan...
I am sure the ACLU, CAIR and other leftie loons will be right on this come monday morning.
Unfortunately, that's subjective reasoning. How to interpret "acting suspiciously" is the operative phrase here. Taking 20 trips to the bathroom or just generally pacing would constitute suspicious behavior. That's what I do--stay in motion when I arrive at the airport because I've got a problem sitting down until I get inside the plane and buckle up. I can just see me arrested for "acting suspciously". Oh, brother!
You can't be arrested for "acting suspiciously."
Great minds think alike department.
I've thought that all screeners should be ordered to have an overnight bag at their workplace.
On a regular basis randomly-chosen screeners will be ordered to get on a randomly-selected flight.
Sigh.
Terror avoidance is not law enforcement.
No one will be arrested for non-crimes.
Taking 20 trips to the bathroom or just generally pacing would constitute suspicious behavior. That's what I do--stay in motion when I arrive at the airport because I've got a problem sitting down until I get inside the plane and buckle up...
No more Starbucks for you!
The ACLU should be trumped at airports! Profile me - please!
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