The Process of the Passenger Profiling - Essay Example

Methods of combating aviation threats An airport is one of the commonly used entry point into a country. In recent times, airports have gained popularity among people and planes are nowadays being used to carry both passengers and goods. Through, the development of airports, economies of different countries have grown steadily over the years and any interference with the normal functioning of an airport may send a country’s economy to its knee. Airports operation can be disrupted in the following ways, these include, terrorism threat, presence of an infectious disease or even catastrophes like floods or invisibility of the atmosphere due to volcanic ash just to name a few. All these are may stop the operation of an airport and in order to avoid such occurrences strict measures should be put in place to combat these threats before they take place. All airports have security personnel whom their work is to ensure that normal functioning of the airport is to go on successfully. The security personnel must first decide what to them or the country or by the laws of their land is termed as a threat. Therefore from that assessment, they should develop guidelines which will be followed when an airport has a threat . Some of the mechanism to combat these threats include; development of passengers and goods screening. Passenger screening Screening can be both physical and computerized. Both methods can be used as a preliminary method when identifying the presence of a threat . Physical method is when a security official frisks passengers for any unwanted item within their bodies. Even though this method is extremely necessary, it is being discouraged and by many human rights group, because they argue that this physical frisking of passengers is against the cultures and religion of some people for example the Muslims are against it saying that that practice is against their religion. Another hindrance to use fully of this method is that some of the people/ dignitaries who enter the country fail to be frisked because the security personnel will feel threatened to frisk them fearing for their jobs. Other limitation of the use of physical screening is the shortage of staffs to do this job. Physical frisking has been gradually replaced by use of body metal detectors, which sometimes, may be corrupted or faulty. With the current economy, a person may plant a weapon the size of a microchip into his/her body and may end up passing the metal detectors even if the detector detects it because it is not visible to the security personnel. Dogs can also be incorporated in identifying of threats. Dogs or sniffer dogs as commonly known can be used to smell for threats which can be identified by their distinct smell. The dogs are normally trained to identify certain kinds of smells, they are normally helpful when inspecting cargo or passengers luggage. Passenger profiling Passenger profiling is a concept which has brought many controversies among tribes and communities all over the world, this is because different distinct features are used to categorized individual such as the use of racial and religion profiling. Passenger profiling has been aided by the use of computer-assisted passenger prescreening system . Computers can be used to verify the passenger’s’ documents. These technologies on the other hand, should be updated more regularly to reduce the loopholes which might exist. That is why many governments including U.S.A federal government has changed their system form the previous computer-assisted passenger screening to the new computer-assisted passenger prescreening program after September 2001 terrorist Computers also have their own faults and this will give loophole to the threats to penetrate a country. These faults are like, they can be breached with unwanted data, someone can forge the existing database, and also the computers may have programmatic issues. Racial profiling should not be implemented because; it can be discriminating at times and can be used as a weapon to discriminate against a certain tribe or race, whose are stereotyped with terrorism. In recent years, the Middle East communities felt they were being judged on the basis of their race and because of that, they were being mishandled at the airports. Through this, those countries with a history of discrimination on racial grounds will have the privilege of doing so indirectly when this mode of profiling takes effect. Although some of these characteristics used in passengers screening are classified, several have been exposed to the public through the press or internet, hence rendering them ineffective and easily breached. This comes as a challenge to the airport security because these programs cannot be modified easily to respond to real time issues termed as threat. There are also challenges which may hinder the fully usage of computer-assisted passenger prescreening system such as, poor international cooperation, identity theft and expansion of mission to screen both local and international passengers. Other passenger screening mechanisms which can be used include X-ray Backscatter Imaging Systems, Millimeter Wave Imaging Systems and walkthrough explosive trace detection portals. Checked Baggage Screening Baggage screening should also be incorporated to ensure total threat free environment within an airport. This can be achieved by use of explosive sniffer dogs; physical hand searches of baggage and positive passenger bag match and in more advanced airport use, electronic screening and explosive detection system can be incorporated . This method also has some setbacks just like any other security method. For instance, the Explosive Detection System is exceedingly difficult to be integrated in the airport. Currently, most of them have been installed in the lobbies as stand-alone systems, which are big in size and heavy at the same time, making installation of a number of those units difficult. But, with these few units in place, their use can be maximized by attaching conveyors to them, which will carry the baggage from the counter where ticketing is done to the area where the baggage are handled. Some other tools used to check the baggage are bottle and liquid explosive scanners, and use of x-rays. Perimeter and Access Controls Airports can be security can also be maintained by having restricted sections, to passengers, the airport workers and those who have escorted the passengers but are not travelling. Through this mechanism, the security officials can easily identify and handle a threat effectively before it affects the other section and people. For example, before the September 2001 U.S.A attacks it was noted that people would use forged law enforcement badges and credentials to be allowed to access the secured areas, even bypass the security checkpoints and go undetected to the aircraft departure gates . Airport access points should be limited and that, all vehicles individual or property should be randomly screen by the airport security. The perimeter security can be improved by installing video monitoring systems around the perimeter of the airport. Regular patrolling of the perimeter is also a step towards reducing threats if the resources required to install and monitor the motion sensors are not available. Staff regulations The staffs working within the airport should also be checked for criminal history. Most threats which happen within the airports are as a result of collusion between the airport official and the person causing the threat. Not all employees should be given access to all areas within the airport, they should be judged with the number of years served at their airport and their loyalty to their work. Airport should embrace the use of biometrics access control identification system among its employees i.e. the use of iris scans and fingerprints . In the recent times, there have been cases of employees losing their budge or security access cards only to find that someone has used it to cause terror within the airport. Other techniques include the use of anti-piggybacking technologies, which is a system which prevents more than one staff to enter to the secured zones at a time, and also the use of video monitoring system. Also in the line of defense, there is need to train cabin crew members on security and how to detect threat or suspicious individuals. Air marshal should also be involved so as to try and check for any abnomalism in the plane or any act of terrorism before the plane lands. Air cargo security A lot of security threats is nowadays being associated with cargo transportation and handling. Threats which arise are like the hiding of incendiary devices and explosives which can pass undetected . These threats can be reduced by regular screening of the cargo and having a profiling system for the cargoes which indicate, where it is to and from, what it carries and whom it belong to, the serial number of the goods and their receipt or delivery note, plus much more information. CLEAR CLEAR is a type of software which enables airline customers to be able to go through the airport security checks more easily on the fast lane. This program was initiated to serve the local flight but soon it was growing popularity with the international flight. This method made it easier for airline customers to check into an airport and get cleared to board a flight without waiting for the normal two hours check in time. To use CLEAR a customer had to register and subscribe online for the CLEAR membership card, then they had to go to where it is being issued and present a passport to be given, after receiving the CLEAR card, they can then use the CLEAR card at an airport kiosk where you will verify your biometric information, thereafter rush through the baggage security check and you are good to go. This process takes less than ten minutes, which is an added advantage to customers who travel frequently. In my view, this system is beneficial to the airports authority because it reduces overcrowding of passengers at a security queue which might attract security threats. Conclusion As an airport tries to address its security concerns, it should always combine a variety of technique in order for them to be almost security threat free. They should also try and update their technique to suit the current technology and not to wait till they have been attacked to act. And for business to run normally the general public must be assured good security. References Read More