Alexis M Stefani.

Alexis M Stefani, Assistant Inspector General for Auditing, U Transportation Department: "FBI criminal checks are popularly only required in certain cases, as it was as when there is an unexplained gap of profession of 12 months or more. However, according to the U Department of Justice, 43 percent of violent crime convictions resulted in probation or an average jail time of just seven months...The list of 25 crimes that disqualified an employee from being issued airport ID was insufficient and did not include serious crimes, similar as assualt with a deadly weapon, unarmed robbery, burglary, larceny, and possession of drugs"

Gerald L Dillingham, Associate Director, Transportation Issues, GAO: "Two important causes for the screeners' performance question s are the rapid turnover among screener and human factors issues involved in their work. Turnover outstrips 100 percent a year at greatest in quantity large airports and at the same airport has topped 400 percent leaving not many screeners with much experience at the checkpoints. The human factors issues - tied to the repetitive, monotonous, still stressful tasks that require constant vigilance - have not been addressed sufficiently. At single in kind airport we visited, of the 993 screener trained at that airport through about a one-year period, sole 142, or 14 percent, were still enlist in one's serviceed at the end of that year."

Adm. Cathal Flynn Associate Administrator for Civil Aviation Security, FAA: "The number of incidents worldwide of unlawful interference with civil aviation (primarily hijacking and sabotage) have decreased throughout the last 20 years, while the number of flights, enplanements and passenger-miles flown have increased. As graphically demonstrated by means of the two most recent hijackings, this decrease does not minimize the gravity of these crimes... The terrorist threat to U civil aviation is higher abroad than it is within the United States... regulation sets performance, not design standards. The regulation can indirectly influence private sector pay by means of higher performance standards that require more training, and more investment in individuals who do it well."

Bill Gilchrist, preboard sceener for International Total Services, Kansas City Int'l Airport: "In the three years I have worked for ITS, staffing has been like a revolving door when it be deriveds to preboard screeners... Many persons we attract do not have customer service backgrounds, which is a big part of our do job-works Yet, the importance of customer service is repeatedly overlooked in the hiring proces Those who aren't motivated by the agency of serving the public will not take delight in the job... Dedication and loyalty among employee is rare because there are more attractive wages public there.

However, other equipment, of the like kind as X-ray machines, should be updated in order to improve operations. near of the X-ray machines are 20 years antique For example, I was one time on temporary duty at a station that had an antiquated black and white monitor that had devolp a flicker. As we worked with this machine, it started to affect our views and, consequently, our judgment. As I watched families get to through the checkpoint that day while we used that machine, I couldn't help nevertheless think, 'Are we doing the best we can for the public?'" ( Gilchrist received an FAA Regional Screener of the Year award in 1999 (

Richard J Doubrava, Managing Director of Security, Air Transport Association: "ATA is also troubleed about the ultimate regulatory and economic impact the propos certification proces may inflict upon some aspects of the secutiry screening industry possibly affecting their continued ability to contend in a new regulatory environment. A number of companies providing in the same state [i]or[/i] condition services are local business entities located in small airport environments and unfamiliar with federal regulatory proces They may find it difficult or economically unfeasible to continue so services."

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COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group