Mon, Aug 23, 2010
New Procedure Allows Palms-Down Searches
TSA is testing a new search procedure at Boston's Logan
International airport, as well as Las Vegas-McCarran, in which a
palms-down frisking technique is replacing the former "back of the
hands" search. And one civil rights group has already raised
questions about the the practice.
Until now, if a passenger requested a hand search rather than a
full-body scan, or was selected for additional screening, the TSA
agents used a frisking technique that used the back of their hands
rather than the palms over "sensitive areas." “TSA is in the
process of implementing an enhanced patdown at security checkpoints
as one of our many layers of security,” Ann Davis, TSA
spokeswoman for the Northeast region, told the Boston
Herald. “Patdowns are designed to address potentially
dangerous items, like improvised explosive devices and their
components, concealed on the body.”
The two airports were selected because they employ the greatest
number of full-body scanners. The pat-down searches are used on
passengers who either refuse the electronic scan, or on whom
something is noticed that is not discernible on the scan. The
searches are also used on passengers if there is no full-body
scanner and they cause the metal detector to alert,or they are
randomly selected for additional screening.
The pat-down searches are done by TSA personnel of the same
gender as the passenger, and can be done in private if the
passenger requests that. Still, a spokesman for the Massachusetts
ACLU said the group is concerned about what he called a continuing
erosion of privacy, as well as the effectiveness of the searches,
but at least one passenger told the paper it was part of the price
of security on flights.
If TSA determines that the palms-down frisking is effective, it
will be rolled out at airports nationwide.
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