A recent report from ABC News revealed the yet another massive failure of the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA's) screening and security protocols when mock undercover investigators from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) were able to smuggle mock explosives or banned weapons through checkpoints 67 out of 70 times.
The tests took place at dozens of the nation's busiest airports through checkpoints which failed detection 95 percent of the time. One test the TSA failed when the undercover agent set off an alarm at a magnetometer after which the TSA screeners failed to detect a fake explosive taped to his back during a follow-up pat down.
The DHS would not reveal the exact time period of the tests but did say they occurred recently. Since failing the tests miserably the TSA has implemented a series of actions to address issues raised by the report.
This isn't the first time the TSA has failed these undercover investigations despite the alleged strong layers of security, bomb sniffing dogs and other technologies, both seen and unseen. In 2013 an undercover investigator with a fake bomb hidden on his body passed through a metal detector and a pat down an New Jersey's Newark Liberty Airport without being caught.
Recent undercover investigations conducted targeting checked baggage screening at airports across the country where "vulnerabilities" attributed to human error and technological failures were found. Despite spending $540 million for checked baggage screening equipment and another $11 million in training, no noticeable improvements have been made.
Like the NSA's illegal spying, the TSA's security theater has been rife with failures that have not resulted in stopping any actual terrorist attacks regardless of Washington deceptive propaganda fabricated to justify the TSA’s fraudulent existence. Obviously revelations of the TSA's failures is causing quite an uproar in Washington -- where many of our representatives have massive stock in the U.S. Defense Industry and have profited handsomely over the past fourteen years -- as to how to respond to the revelations and what to do about it.
Maybe we should step back and take a look at finding more cost efficient, less intrusive legal ways to protect us while maintaining some shred of dignity, freedom, and privacy. In the meantime, do you feel any safer yet?