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Government Transportation

Almost Half Of All TSA Employees Have Been Cited For Misconduct (mercurynews.com) 128

Posted by EditorDavid from the watching-the-watchers dept.
Slashdot reader schwit1 writes: Almost half of all TSA employees have been cited for misconduct, and the citations have increased by almost 30 percent since 2013... It also appears that the TSA has been reducing the sanctions it has been giving out for this bad behavior.
Throughout the U.S., the airport security group "has instead sought to treat the misconduct with 'more counseling and letters that explain why certain behaviors were not acceptable'," according to a report from the House Homeland Security Commission, titled "Misconduct at TSA Threatens the Security of the Flying Public". It found 1,206 instances of "neglect of duty", and also cited the case of an Oakland TSA officer who for two years helped smugglers slip more than 220 pounds of marijuana through airport security checkpoints, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

The newspaper adds that "The misconduct ranges from salacious (federal air marshals spending government money on hotel rooms for romps with prostitutes) to downright dangerous (an officer in Orlando taking bribes to smuggle Brazilian nationals through a checkpoint without questioning)." Their conclusion? "The TSA's job is to make airline passengers feel safer and, not incidentally, actually make us safer. It's failing on both."
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Almost Half Of All TSA Employees Have Been Cited For Misconduct More

Almost Half Of All TSA Employees Have Been Cited For Misconduct

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  • Here's another one... (Score:3, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23, 2016 @02:45PM (#52567083)
    After receiving several complaints, police detectives decided to follow a TSA agent in Seattle, and caught him filming up a woman's skirt while he followed her on an escalator.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com... [washingtonpost.com]

  • Pull the plug on TSA (Score:5, Insightful)

    by hambone142 ( 2551854 ) on Saturday July 23, 2016 @02:46PM (#52567095)

    TSA was created by Bush as a knee jerk reaction to 9-11. I'm surprised Obama hasn't gotten rid of it.

    However, government never seems to get smaller nor can it realize a mistake. It only perpetuates (in this case) an unnecessary bureaucracy.

    Let's go back to metal detectors and private security. My tube of toothpaste isn't the problem.

    TSA is.

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward

      I'm surprised Obama hasn't gotten rid of it.

      Been asleep for the past eight years, haven't you?

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      I'm surprised Obama hasn't gotten rid of it.

      However, government never seems to get smaller nor can it realize a mistake.

      You realize that the second sentence negates the first. Right?

    • TSA was created by Bush as a knee jerk reaction to 9-11. I'm surprised Obama hasn't gotten rid of it.

      Anything that "creates jobs" makes no sense to get rid of, no matter how pointless or financially bloated.

      However, government never seems to get smaller nor can it realize a mistake. It only perpetuates (in this case) an unnecessary bureaucracy.

      It can realize it has made many of them, but in the end it comes down to my previous statement. Even a major fuck-up will be considered a success if it "creates jobs". The clusterfuck that is the TSA has certainly done that.

      Let's go back to metal detectors and private security. My tube of toothpaste isn't the problem.

      TSA is.

      Agreed, but that would tend to make fucking sense, which seems to be an illegal act these days.

      Also, let's beat this dead horse one more time; "creates jobs".

      • Anything that "creates jobs" makes no sense to get rid of, no matter how pointless or financially bloated.

        However, government never seems to get smaller nor can it realize a mistake. It only perpetuates (in this case) an unnecessary bureaucracy.

        I hate it when facts get in the way of a "Gub'ment is bad!" rant, but at least since 2008: "Private payrolls have added 7 million jobs over Obama’s presidency, while government payrolls (federal, state and local) have contracted by a combined 634,000 jobs." http://www.pewresearch.org/fac... [pewresearch.org]

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by rtb61 ( 674572 )

          The TSAs function is to establish a precedented and accustomise people to restrictions, all encompassing restrictions. It is a totally class structured organisations in principle. Certain people a minority get to completely avoid it, never ever experience (except to sneer at those who are forced into it, look down upon those who are being taught their place in society). The majority of course are being trained, you go only were you specifically are allowed to go, upon demand you can be stripped searching,

    • Re:Pull the plug on TSA (Score:5, Insightful)

      by advocate_one ( 662832 ) on Saturday July 23, 2016 @06:21PM (#52567887)

      I'm surprised Obama hasn't gotten rid of it.

      because he can't as then the opposition would claim that he was on the side of the terrorists...

    • "My tube of toothpaste isn't the problem."

      Nor are any of the supposedly binary liquids.

      Yes, you can mix them to make a bomb - under carefully controlled conditions with no vibration.

      There aren't a lot of vibration-free spaces on an aircraft. It'd be interesting to create a simulated cabin and lavatory, then challenge the investigators to actually succeed in the quest.

  • I blame Republicans (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Sort of. Every time there's a "report" from a House committee, it usually means one party has a press release they want to put out supporting a specific narrative. In this case, they've collected a bunch of statistics and anecdotes to create the impression "TSA bad!"

    Which is fine. The TSA has always needed a lot of reform. I just wonder if this fits into some kind of election-year grandstanding about how America isn't safe, as a way to help win elections in November. Or maybe to support yet-another rou

    • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward
      That's sort of the real issue. Republicans cut the TSA's budget -- partly in anticipation of "efficiencies" from a new system which never materialized. (See the related link [slashdot.org]). Since they're short-staffed, the TSA really can't fire their worst employees -- and can't offer incentives to their best employees to stay. Haven't we seen this pattern before? Cut funding, and then when things get crappy, call it proof that government programs are ineffective, and call for their elimination?

      • Re: I blame Republicans (Score:1)

        by Anonymous Coward

        It is happening to the USPS currently.

      • While I agree with the pattern you're pointing out the TSA seriously needs to go. The only reason it's still around is that it provides jobs for the unemployable.

        If it's a jobs program we're looking for spend the money on replacing thousands of municipal waterworks running on pipes so corroded and plugged up that fire hydrants don't give enough pressure. Or spend the money creating a final say that will stop environmentalists from blocking desert solar power plants. Or finish making section 8 to break up t

  • All the worlds's a stage (Score:5, Funny)

    by Virtucon ( 127420 ) on Saturday July 23, 2016 @02:49PM (#52567109)

    And the TSA are merely players on the great stage of Security Theater.

    • Um, they weren't drafted. To them it's not about theater, it's about a paycheck and a pension. And it's really no more than sorting letters at the post office. They have no trouble as long as they don't think about it.

      • Um, they weren't drafted. To them it's not about theater, it's about a paycheck and a pension. And it's really no more than sorting letters at the post office. They have no trouble as long as they don't think about it.

        How fucking ironic you use the post office as your example to compare the TSA against, as if the term "going postal" means you're inviting the mailman in for a cup of tea...

        • One of my great uncles worked for the post office for 40 years. He didn't shoot anybody. He never even saw anyone get shot on the job either.

          As far as the TSA monkey is concerned it is that basic. People are just big loud heavy wet parcels to push through the gate. Then they go home and down a six pack to forget about the day. Another day in paradise. The problems arise when they can't tune out, in both jobs. I will grant the TSA job requires a bit more fortitude in that department, and maybe something stro

      • or flipping burgers at McDonalds. The scanner goes beep... Fries done!

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by gtall ( 79522 )

      Yep, I want you to be the first to board the planes from an airport with no, and I do mean no, "security theater". Please step right up, show what a He-Boy you really are.

      • Really? We have to take our shoes off because of Richard Reid, why our belts? When underwear boy lit his crotch ablaze, that justified now suddenly spending billions on scanners some of which to this day haven't had a conclusive radiation health study about their effects. No fluids brought through because of supposed threat by terrorists in Britain. Shit, all these terror morons have to do is come up with a viable scheme and millions of air traveling passengers have to be subjected extra security for th

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by pjt33 ( 739471 )

          Shit, all these terror morons have to do is come up with a viable scheme and millions of air traveling passengers have to be subjected extra security for the sake of feeling safe.

          Nonsense. There's no need for the scheme to be viable. The liquid limit you mentioned proves that.

          • " There's no need for the scheme to be viable. The liquid limit you mentioned proves that."

            The liquid limit is cynically enforced at airports in order to force passengers to pay higher rates on the other side of the security checks.

        • "all these terror morons have to do is come up with a viable scheme and millions of air traveling passengers have to be subjected extra security for the sake of feeling safe"

          They don't even have to come up with a viable scheme. The aim is to cause those in authority to remove our freedoms and those in authority are gleefully using it as an excuse to do so.

          There have been viable defences against explosives in passenger baggage for years (thicker, porous container sides which can contain and vent the gas at a

  • This is Why... (Score:4, Insightful)

    by rally2xs ( 1093023 ) on Saturday July 23, 2016 @02:56PM (#52567143)

    I traded in a 3 year old car last year with 124,000 miles on the odometer. I very, very rarely fly any more due to the TSA nonsense. I load my junk in the trunk, climb into the driver's seat, and drive 2,500 miles to and 2,500 miles back from an event in Arizona, and then I have events to go to in St. Louis, Indianapolis, La Crosse, Madison, Pittsburgh, and Southern New Jersey. If I do an event in California, I MIGHT fly. I also MIGHT ship my bags by other means, too. Enough of the nonsense of violating the 4th Amendment by having GOVERNMENT agents blanket searching people just because they want to travel on an airplane. The GOVERNMENT can't legally do that, but they ignore the Constitution and do it anyway. Lots of the Constitution is being ignored, more every day, and I for one am not going to cooperate. They can stick it.

    • You can't beat shipping your belongings by UPS or Fedex. They will get there on schedule and you'll have tracking and verification.

      • I investigated that and decided I wasn't rich enough. Plus, there's the problem of exactly where do you ship it to, your motel, and then were do you ship it from. That last one is NOT your motel because they won't do it - I tried that with the post office. They wouldn't mess with it at the motel. OTOH, there are specific shipping companies for exactly this problem that are cheaper than UPS and FedEx, and if I get back to this sport for which I need to ship baggage / equipment all over the country, I may

      • @ArchieBunker

        Unless your gear is expensive and fragile. I try not to let UPS / FedEx touch that at all. Even when protected in something like a Pelican case with full insurance.

        They seem to play rugby with that stuff for some reason. :/

        If you gotta do it though, do all of the above and send it overnight. The less time it's in their hands the better.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by swb ( 14022 )

      I prefer driving as well, and even though we have a lot of direct flights from MSP, I find that security, delays, car rental, and so on worth nearly 3 hours or nearly 200 miles of road time on the Interstate. My limit, though, is about 500 miles because distances beyond that are just too time consuming for driving. I did have a trip to Springfield, IL, though which ended up being longer flying than driving would have been due to a cancelled flight and getting re-routed via Chicago.

      The upside even if driv

      • "I prefer driving as well, and even though we have a lot of direct flights from MSP"

        I suspect that one of the unintended consequences of better automated vehicles will be the airlines losing custom.

        "And in your car, with out of state license plates?"

        Dashcams, etc, preferably with a concealed recorder holding a backup flash module.

  • Timely news (Score:4, Interesting)

    by 93 Escort Wagon ( 326346 ) on Saturday July 23, 2016 @02:56PM (#52567145)

    Just a couple days ago, a TSA agent up here in the Pacific Northwest was arrested for taking up-skirt photos of women at Sea-Tac airport. Apparently he's been doing it for a while, too.

  • The other half just hasn't been caught yet.

  • Basically a giant Stanford Prison Experiment (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Dr_Barnowl ( 709838 ) on Saturday July 23, 2016 @03:03PM (#52567181)

    It's like the Stanford Prison Experiment [wikipedia.org], only with a lot more experimental groups.

    This and the whole situation you have with shootings of blacks should be no surprise. You give one group of people power over another group with insufficient checks and balances, they misbehave and turn into giant douches.

  • "The TSA's job is to make airline passengers feel safer and, not XXXXXXXXX actually make us safer..."

    There, FTFY.

  • The TSA should be replaced with a much much smaller group of enforcement inspectors and all they do is set security guidelines and test airport security. The actual security staff should be hired by the airports themselves, and all TSA does is test that they are meeting standards. (the standards that TSA themselves fail 95% of the time).

    • The smaller group already exists. It's the NTSB - the ones who've been testing the TSA.

      A large part of the problem is that as federal employees, TSA staff can get away with a lot more than they could as private employees and are a LOT harder to fire.

      It'd be interesting if the airports themselves started keeping stats and ,onitoring thei TSA staff, to see the true scale of the problem (rule of thumb: What's detected and reported is usually less than 1% of what's actually happening)

  • feel safer (Score:4, Insightful)

    by frovingslosh ( 582462 ) on Saturday July 23, 2016 @04:27PM (#52567531)

    "The TSA's job is to make airline passengers feel safer ...."

    Yea, right. I'm going to feel safer with these obvious deviants and criminals groping me, taking dirty pictures of my family, and stealing what they can from my luggage? I simply refuse to fly any more.

  • So when looking objectively at the TSA, it was found that, despite all the expenses, security theater does not improve security. And that it isn't good theater, either.

    Why am I not surprised?

  • Look at them. Just spend a minute or two just watching one of those clowns. I think it's amazing most of them are able to walk upright.

  • TSA is corrupt from the top of the organization on down.

    To put things into perspective TSA costs something like 7-8 billion/yr. The entire fucking FBI's budget is like 8-9 billion/yr.

  • So, to put this in perspective, let's think about the cost to hire a TSA worker to replace one you fire, vs. the cost to keep a bad one and "counsel" them, and print letters to send/give them to help them straighten up their act and flight right...so to speak.

    I'm guessing it's "easier" to just "counsel" the employee, opposed to firing them and going about hiring someone else.

    Any HR folks who can check my fuzzy math on this?

    Bottom Line: The TSA may have a "values" issue, because in a "normal" security job,

    • IIRC, the requirements for a frontline TSA grunt are a high school certificate ... or a few months in a 'related' occupation: read security guard. This means any high-school drop-out, with a few months as a mall guard, or night watchman, is qualified. And, the TSA refused, repeatedly, to fulfil their legal obligations, under FOIA, to disclose what the breakdown (graduates/drop-outs), citing 'SECURITY!!!'.

      Pathetic. Then again, un-tested x-ray machines, and you are forbidden to carry any radiation monitori

  • Obviosuly TSA lacks some counterpowers. It seems justice and press were not enough, so what can be done?

  • Tell me again why you think government can solve all of our society's problems? I ask because I need a good chuckle today.

  • "and also cited the case of an Oakland TSA officer who for two years helped smugglers slip more than 220 pounds of marijuana through airport security checkpoints, "

    I see no problem with this, other than that they had to smuggle it. The DEA and FDA have already admitted that not only is cannabis harmless and nonaddictive, but has many health benefits and that the government has lied for decades. The guy who assisted the smugglers should be commended for doing what is right, not cited for wrongdoing.

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