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

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.

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot