Republican Politico Calls For 'Profiling' Not 'Pat-Downs'

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) called Monday for a probe into methods employed by Transportation Security Administration agents, suggesting that the use of "behavioral profiling" and "bomb-sniffing dogs" would be better techniques for keeping Americans safe.

Chaffetz was responding to an incident captured on video by Utah Valley University student Luke Tait, in which a young boy's shirt was removed by his exasperated father after the boy appeared too shy to submit to a TSA pat-down.

In a letter to President Obama, Chaffetz called for "an immediate investigation into the actions of all involved parties" and suggested TSA agents rely on behavioral profiling instead.

As a member of the House Oversight committee, his statement carries special weight.

"Surely it is possible to secure an airplane without sacrificing individual liberties or privacy," Chaffetz wrote Monday. "We can utilize bomb-sniffing dogs, AIT machines as a method of secondary screening, and behavioral profiling to accomplish the shared goal of safe and secure air travel."

Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) has expressed similar gripes, but not similar remedies.

In a letter to TSA Administrator John Pistole, Snowe expressed concern about how TSA's pat-down method was being implemented and suggested more training was required.

"These new searches are a novel procedure both for the traveling public and your front line TSA officers, and I am not convinced the Transportation Security officers have received adequate training in what is clearly an invasive procedure," said Snowe in a statement.

Watch the video that sparked the letter from Chaffetz's below.

Comments

[PaiaGirl]

08:06 PM on 11/23/2010

People who know me from my posts know I am a very, very progressive (if not downright socialist) person.

So when I here a  across-the-board support for scanners and gropers from centrist and left pundits (I'm watching MSNBC right now) I really feel let down....what happened to the champions of civil rights, those who know the Patriot Act impinged on our Constitution?

Where is this coming from?  Why the uniform talking points in favor of RapiSCAM radiation or groping?

They focus on the "naked body scanner" and poo poo people who are upset about that but conveniently ignore the radiation hazard (small though it is)

What happened to common sense?  TSA says its "only" scans 2% for completely random reasons so how is that supposed to be effective at security?

Why are people buying in to this scam?

[Tom Fennell]

03:10 PM on 11/23/2010

Who most wants the government to give equal treatment and physical screening of all to ensure security?

That would be a conservative who just got profiled....

[HarmNone]

12:51 PM on 11/23/2010

For anyone who needs more proof that this is a sham:
http://noblasters.com/post/1650102322/my-tsa-encounter
the actual audio of the experience:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkRPS0pSScQ&feature=player_embedded

[hifiguy]

11:22 AM on 11/23/2010

There is a lot of merit in this suggestion. I guess that even a blind Repub squirrel finds a nut every now and then.

[Gray Mouser]

04:02 PM on 11/23/2010

What part of invasion of privacy and elimination of rights has merit? I missed that bit.

[hifiguy]

05:37 PM on 11/23/2010

The nudie scanners and gropings are invasions of privacy and restrictions on rights, too. There's no reason that US airport security has to be this invasive of EVERY passenger's rights and dignity. While the Israeli system might not be feasible to simply transplant in its entirety to the US, there are certainly lessons which could be learned and applied.

[LCLiberal]

11:18 AM on 11/23/2010

Tea partiers are self-identified as "angry" and hold a clear grudge against the Obama administration and the federal government. And many carry guns openly in public places. I say let's profile these folks and give 'em a taste of what they're advocating for everyone besides themselves.
http://www.facebook.com/campaigncorner

[Ramseytwo]

10:51 AM on 11/23/2010

Use the Israeli system: interview each prospective passenger--twice. It obviously works, and would provide employment for lots of folks who need work.

[TOS100]

11:32 AM on 11/23/2010

Yes. They have several layers of security. They "profile" by talking to a person and making eye contact with them. They stagger lines to prevent catastrophe. If an explosive or questionable device makes it to the screening layer, they do NOT try to evacuate the entire airport (which could take up to 2 days), and instead remove the item with a blast-proof box.

They deal with real terrorism WAY more than America ever has, and they know how to do it right.

America employs a "guilty until proven innocent" approach, while simultaneously raping the 4th Amendment.

This shall not stand.

[thejackass]

12:03 PM on 11/23/2010

The volume of Americans flying makes this impossible. Look at the IQ of the screeners that is another big problem.

[Elamdri]

10:51 AM on 11/23/2010

Misleading Headline is misleading.

[Zip360]

11:21 AM on 11/23/2010

Huffpost should be above this. This is a Fox news tactic.

[TOS100]

11:34 AM on 11/23/2010

Nah.

It's not "profiling," as in, "Hey, there's an Arab. Let's grope him!"

It's "profiling," as seen in the TV show, "Lie To Me." Talk to them, pay attention to their words AND how they say them AND the tone. Make eye contact with them. Pay attention to body language.

THAT kind of profiling.

Israel does it successfully, without treating everyone like a criminal.

[den1953]

10:44 AM on 11/23/2010

Build a Trans continental high speed train and cut back on flying not only make jobs but people could see the country!

[Elamdri]

10:53 AM on 11/23/2010

It's not the method of travel, it's the security screening. If people are gonna take the train over flying, then some idiot is gonna try to blow up a train, and then we're all going to have to get our junk patted when we wanna take the train. Changing the method of travel does nothing.

[den1953]

11:02 AM on 11/23/2010

Not every American wants to fly i understand about security and i also understand about big brother spying on people this is why before long you will have along with every one else a national identification card, with a special computer chip that will track your every move..........

[Gray Mouser]

04:02 PM on 11/23/2010

I like this one. Well done.

[den1953]

04:18 PM on 11/23/2010

I believe this would be a way to get people to travel from East to West and possibly help Las Vegas and California not everyone likes to fly and if run properly be a win ,win situation for private corporations and small businesses along the way!

[CindyLugo]

10:40 AM on 11/23/2010

Dear Lucia,

I was sorry that you chose that misleading headline. As a strong liberal/progressive the key point he made was absolutely right, (and I hate that he is a Republican - they've systematically destroyed the middle class and poor for 30 years). However liberals and progressives, strongly concerned with privacy issues, are in agreement with his statement that ""We can utilize bomb-sniffing dogs, AIT machines as a method of secondary screening, and behavioral profiling to accomplish the shared goal of safe and secure air travel."

Bomb sniffing dogs can detect trace amounts of explosives both in and on the body and clothing. These Scanners and Pat Downs cannot. They are a ludicrous and ineffective security that is unecessarily invading privacy and decency. Ginger McCall spoke on Chris Mathews show last night and was derided for her very well researched and informed comments - here is the website with numerous factual studies and acurate information regarding the ineffectiveness as well as potential dangers of these scanners. http://epic.org/privacy/airtravel/backscatter/

I just felt so sad that you chose that headline - which implies that liberals support the TSA machines and Republicans do not. This is absolutely false. As a matter of fact Chertoff started lobbying and testing these machines during the Republican Administration and was supported, originally, by republicans. So I'm hoping you do a followup that would bring the ideas liberals actually support together with republicans who agree. What a concept.

Sincerely,

Cindy Lugo

[SURRYMARK]

10:37 AM on 11/23/2010

Curly hair, s-eating grin, shifty eyes: this guy Chaffetz needs to go into the little room.

[Charlie Ham]

10:24 AM on 11/23/2010

is it sad that id rather have a little more racial profiling than see something like this?

[PeterGSW]

10:15 AM on 11/23/2010

The methods of searching people are onerous, but if you want to screen the public you must use some methods the public will not be comfortable with. that's what invasion of privacy is like, and that's what we have got with our 'war' on terrorism.

Profiling means we intentionally ignore large segments of the public because we think we know what a terrorism suspect looks like. Trouble is, we don't. The 9-11 hijackers intentionally shaved (against their religions laws and customs), and wore western clothes and a lot of them were very comfortable with English. Domestic terrorists like Tim McVeigh can look like clean-cut American kids.

[morna1953]

12:03 PM on 11/23/2010

Behavioral profiling has nothing to do with looks, but focuses on body language and voice stress analysis and so forth. It means looking for PEOPLE rather than THINGS.

[jARED w]

10:09 AM on 11/23/2010

How often in police work does profiling actually do anything but end up getting lots of blacks and mexicans arrested?

How many of the flight incidents so far would have been averted with profiling?

How long before people that want to use airplanes for terrorism realize that if you look white and busy you can walk through?

[Iraqnophobia]

03:18 PM on 11/23/2010

you should probably do a little research on behavioral profiling.

[joeerato]

10:05 AM on 11/23/2010

Well you just look at the people who keep trying to take our planes out and only stop those types of people. Simple, leave decrepit old people alone.

[PeterGSW]

10:17 AM on 11/23/2010

Like the decrepit old man who killed a guard at one of our museums? Or the middle-aged white guy who flew a plane into a building?

[joeerato]

03:17 PM on 11/23/2010

who was the plane guy???

[Ferrante Photo]

10:19 AM on 11/23/2010

And what if Al Queda decides to use "decrepit old people" ? What then ?

[lemmonmc]

11:00 AM on 11/23/2010

@Ferrante Photo
Can I please fan you for that?!!!! What an excellent smack down!

[joeerato]

03:16 PM on 11/23/2010

i would love to see that. THen we profile them as well

[jishosan]

10:04 AM on 11/23/2010

So many of these articles. All I know is, before 9/11, I loved to fly. LOVED it. I used to take a flight every month to visit friends and enjoyed the act of flying immensely. Since 9/11, I have yet to board a plane. I've been to the Airport many times for friends and family, but the romantic era of flying is definitely over. Movies where loved ones greet their flying friends and family at the terminal are rapidly becoming anachronisms.

I don't want my country scanning my goodies, and I'm not into pat downs unless I can pay the extra $40 for a happy ending. Honestly, the act of stripping off your shoes, restricting the exact whats and hows of carry ons, and locking down the terminals has pretty much killed the joy of flying for me.