Article Review of Terrorism, Airport Security, and the Private Sector - Essay Example

However, subsequent to the attack, the government instituted a federalized security system. The present system characterized by tightened security is, however, more expensive and must be assessed in terms of its overall cost effectiveness compared to a public-private approach to security. This paper will provide a succinct review of Seidenstat’s article “Terrorism, Airport and the Private Sector”. The September 11, 2001 tragedy occurred when hijacked airplanes were smashed into massive buildings in the US.

This attack elicited great concern for airport security, which had long been a joint initiative between the private and public sector in the US. The attack laid emphasis on pubic operations within the country’s airports, causing the reassessment of best practices with regard to airport security in order to deter terrorist attacks. The process of the airport security system included screening of passengers and luggage for explosives and weapons, checking of baggage and cargo for explosives, management of admission to secure air operations regions, clearing, as well as badging of personnel with admission to restricted areas in the aircraft of airport and deployment of air marshals on domestic flights (Seidenstat, 2004).

However, these security functions were marred by major glitches that deterred effectiveness. Areas of weaknesses included controls for airport access and passenger and carry-on luggage screening. For instance, in 1987, FAA tests showed that screeners missed at least 20% of the potentially perilous objects it utilized in the tests. Some of the reasons behind the ineffective airport security system included the limitations of the stakeholders; the FAA, airports and the airlines, which made the events of September 11 quite easy.

For instance, the laws were ineffectively managed deterring effective oversight of airport security. The fragmented system also failed to assign responsibility, thereby giving way for gaps in effective security management, for instance, enabling passengers smuggle weapons on board. Moreover, the erratic nature of communication between the FAA and the institutions under its mandate also worsened the security crisis. According to Seidenstat (2004) underinvestment in security was also to blame for the inconsistency experienced in airport security; for instance, airlines and airports considered the added costs of tightened security as unjustifiable in the business milieu.

Their profit considerations hampered their adoption of tightened airport security. Even private firms that contracted airport security services were forced to keep their costs low in order to be awarded contracts; consequently, the services provided were also insufficient since tightened security typically requires hefty expenditures, which airlines and airports were unwilling to cover. However, after 9/11, the face of airport security has improved as the legislative and executive arms of the government moved speedily to revamp airport security systems to heighten their security level.

This involved upgrading the existing system by requiring airlines to improve their security contracts with private security firms and requiring the FAA to enforce stringent screening standards. A major recommendation was altering the focal point of security control to airport managers so as to achieve a fully integrated system, but this system may not