The head of the Transportation Security Administration was “immediately reassigned” Monday following an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security that found a failure rate of 95 percent in airport breach tests.
According to the DHS report, “red teams” operating under the agency’s Inspector General were able to pass through airport screeners with banned items such as explosives and weapons in 67 out of 70 tests in airports around the country.
Acting TSA administrator Melvin Carraway was reassigned to a DHS program coordination with local law enforcement agencies, DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson told NBC News. Mark Hatfield, the agency’s deputy director, will take over until a new TSA administrator is appointed.
“The numbers in these reports never look good out of context, but they are a critical element in the continual evolution of our aviation security,” Homeland Security officials said in a statement.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said the failure rate was ”deeply alarming.”
“Over the past six years, we have seen TSA consume an enormous amount of government resources, but I’m not convinced we have much to show for it,” he said in a statement. “After spending over $540 million on baggage screening equipment and millions more on training, the failure rate today is higher than it was in 2007. Something is not working.”
“I have long been a proponent of using low-tech bomb-sniffing dogs to detect weapons and explosives,” he said. “Government needs to recognize that the most effective solution is not always the most expensive one.”
Government at its best, right? Let’s continue to chip away at our Second Amendment and put more faith in our federal government to keep us safe, who is with me?!!! (If you can’t tell, I’m being sarcastic)
I’ve stated from its inception the the TSA is nothing more than expensive window dressing to make us “feel safe” and this proves me right.
The Israelis do it right and we won’t tolerate the methods rhey use as they are more intrusive, so, there you go.
What do we do? Eliminate the TSA and reset to private security with effective and more streamline methods and deal with it. Moving thru the airport will be much smoother and less idiocy like confiscation of nail clippers and holding granny from Indiana and letting east Indians thru for fear of “profiling” which is EXACTLY wha the we need to do, because it works.
Government needs to recognize that the most effective solution is not always the most expensive one.”
It is the most effective solution for their agenda if their buddies and cohorts are selling the most expensive equipment.
Just more government corruption, graft, kickbacks and paybacks!
The TSA is hiring the wrong people at minimum wage probably…I would be surprised if these screeners have an IQ as high as 80…I think I know what I am talking about… I have been a pilot for 27 years and I have flown for the airlines until I got fed up with it…
‘nough said…
You hit it on the nail head ” wrong people” is it. ANYONE can be a TSA inspector, minimal qualifications at best!
Only the government hangs on to incompetent managers & reassigns them so they can do more damage elsewhere. Yeesh!
Frisk that guy before he leaves and check your wallet!
I love how this report is not shown and we are all left to debate its legitimacy. Perfect timing with cracking down on the NSA as well. I fly 2-3 flights a month and the security is solid in most airports, as lines are extremely slow to prove it. Also, the media seems to raise all these Red Flags while never actually showing the public an actual report? Our media is bought and sold depending on what bills they are trying to pass, nothing more. Even if security has actually failed at all these airports, I can assure you that there is a much larger plan at work behind the scenes. With all that said, America is still the best place to live, trust me on that.
Why not just disband the entire agency? When roughly 9 of 10 terrorist attempts would succeed, there’s not a lot of usefulness here …
What I want to know is why Eric Holder was not ‘reassigned’ after any of his many violations of his oath and the U.S. Constitution? Wait a minute, it’s coming to me, he and Oblabla, his co-conspirator have the same MO.
Only in today’s world of politics will someone who has been a complete and total failure at their job position get reassigned instead of being fired! Maybe they could make him chief of security for obama and give him a couple hundred thousand in bonuses for his trouble! I mean didn’t L. Learner get a huge bonus for her failures and cover ups even while being investigated!
i know i feel much safer!!!!!!!
Standard government solution: throw more money at it