TSA shuts door on private airport screening program

Looks like the TSA is at it again. They've decided airports can no longer hire private screeners. It's TSA or nothing.

Washington (CNN) -- A program that allows airports to replace government screeners with private screeners is being brought to a standstill, just a month after the Transportation Security Administration said it was "neutral" on the program.

Though little known, the Screening Partnership Program allowed airports to replace government screeners with private contractors who wear TSA-like uniforms, meet TSA standards and work under TSA oversight. Among the airports that have "opted out" of government screening are San Francisco and Kansas City.

Rep. John Mica, a Republican from Florida, wrote a letter encouraging airports to privatize their airport screeners, saying they would be more responsive to the public. At that time, the TSA said it neither endorsed nor opposed private screening. "If airports chose this route, we are going to work with them to do it," a TSA spokesman said in late December. But on Friday, the TSA denied an application by Springfield-Branson Airport in Missouri to privatize its checkpoint workforce, and in a statement, Pistole indicated other applications likewise will be denied.

I guess they want to do all the dirty work themselves. Can't have some private screener doing a less than thorough job of molesting the public, can we?

TSA shuts door...

It's not a matter of whether or not the TSA either 'likes' or 'approves' of private screeners. The private screener option is codified as law in the exact same law that authorizes the TSA. Therefore, if the TSA doesn't like it, then the TSA needs to sit down and drink a tall glass of 'Go #### Themselves'.

reply to post by EssenSieMich

I agree. Problem is, the TSA seems to think they have the authority to do this. But then, they seem to think they can do whatever they want to anyway.

why no more traffic than this ????? heres a bump.....................

guess that they didn't trust any body but their own, for something this important
www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread659558/pg1
posting this on all tsa threads
just for a laugh

Oh, the march to total Govt control.
What tune should we set this too?

do TSA workers them self need to go through screening ?

has anyone looked in to that ?

reply to post by zerbot565


Nope, they just grope themselves.

The idea is the government can do a worse job for 3 times the cost. Now do you understand

reply to post by Klassified


I find it curious that the same week they declared that the TSA workers could unionize, they come out with this change in policy, thus ensuring that the union rolls would be enlarged by definition.

If these folks could be more obvious in their manipulation of public policy for naked political gain/advantage it would be amazing.