Risk Management: Transportation Security Administration hopes to become a "leaner, smarter" agency

TSA Screener with Checkpoint Friendly Laptop Case (Photo credit: Mobile Edge Laptop Cases)

Written testimony of Transportation Security Administration Administrator John Pistole for a House Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Transportation Security hearing titled “TSA's Efforts to Fix Its Poor Customer Service Reputation and Become a Leaner, Smarter Agency”

Release Date: June 7, 2012

311 Cannon

Introduction

Good morning Chairman Rogers, Ranking Member Jackson-Lee, and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today about the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) ongoing efforts to foster continued excellence in the TSA workforce and to make air passengers’ experience at the checkpoint more efficient without compromising security.

The TSA workforce remains vigilant in carrying out TSA’s mission every day. To do so, TSA employs risk-based, intelligence-driven measures to deter and prevent terrorist attacks and to reduce vulnerabilities in the Nation’s transportation systems. These measures create a multi-layered system of transportation security to mitigate risk. We continue to evolve our security approach based on intelligence by examining the procedures and technologies we use, how specific security procedures are carried out, and how screening is conducted.

The TSA workforce operates on the frontline in executing the agency’s transportation security responsibilities in support of the Nation’s counterterrorism efforts. These responsibilities include security screening of passengers and baggage at over 450 airports in the United States that facilitate air travel for 1.8 million people per day; vetting more than 14 million passenger reservations and over 13 million transportation workers against the terrorist watch list each week; and conducting security regulation compliance inspections and enforcement activities at airports, for domestic and foreign air carriers, and for air cargo screening operations throughout the United States and at last point of departure locations internationally.

The transformation of TSA headquarters functions, which I announced last fall, included two important components to promote excellence within the TSA workforce and to address the needs of the traveling public. A new Office of Training and Workforce Engagement (TWE) was created to centralize technical, leadership, and workforce programs that were previously dispersed throughout the agency and to promote processes that engage our employees and empower them to execute TSA’s mission. The Office of Special Counselor was expanded to the Office of Civil Rights and Liberties, Ombudsman and Traveler Engagement (CRL/OTE) to ensure that employees and the traveling public are treated in a respectful and lawful manner, consistent with Federal laws and regulations protecting privacy and civil liberties, affording redress, governing freedom of information, and prohibiting discrimination and reprisal while promoting diversity and inclusion.

More: http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/testimony/20120607-tsa-passenger-screening-hsc.shtm