Importance Of Airport Security Essay Example For Students

Importance Of Airport Security Essay PROBLEMS IN AIRPORT SECURITYThe crash of TWA Flight 800 combined with increased terrorism in airportshad led to more rigid security measures. Anyone who has flown recently hasdiscovered that at most airports when you want to get your boarding pass,you must show a picture identification. This same procedure is followed whenchecking your baggage outside the terminal building. Considering the bombing of the World Towers, the Federal Building inOklahoma City, and the bomb found in Atlanta Americans need to take securityfor all public places more seriously. This is especially true at airportswhere the security measures taken in other countries, such as Britain andIsrael, are far more rigid and effective. Given the alarmingly increasednumbers of terrorist attacks in the world, it is only prudent to instituteand comply with rigid security standards at all airports no matter wherethey are located. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Most of the security devices being used in airports today are the same asthose used in the 1970s when the major concern was hijackings, not terroristbombings. These machines can detect metal but they cannot detect thesophisticated explosive materials used in todays world. Even morefrightening is the fact that most of the luggage and mail checked fordomestic flights is not even X-rayed (Fischetti 38). Flagrant violations at many airports even in the United States have beendiscovered during spot-checks of security measures. This paper willdiscuss some of the problems found, the major problem areas, why terroristschoose their targets and the various technological devices that coulddramatically improve security at all airports. The airline that has the best reputation for security is El Al, the Israelinational airline. Isaac Yeffet who was director of security for El Al forsix years was a member of a team that conducted a review of major airportsin the world in the late 1980s. The team found flagrant abuses andviolations of basic security measures in nearly every airport they visitedincluding the loading of uninspected baggage that had not even been x-rayed(Barnes 135). The report was so well known, it is amazing that some of thesame violations found more than a decade ago still exist today. Why Terrorists Select Specific LocationsTerrorist acts are typically a response to a specific political or militaryact (Barnes 132). In recent years, terrorists have attacked on theanniversaries of the death of a leader who supported their cause (Searle,et.al. 2). They look for the weakest spots that will also create the mostfear (Barnes 132). Airports and airplanes are a prime target due to thelarge numbers of people who are placed in jeopardy by their threats or thelarge numbers who will dies as a result of a bombing. Airports, in manycases, are easy targets for a variety of reasons: they are oftenunderstaffed; security personnel do not receive adequate and ongoingtraining; machines used to detect possible materials are out of date;security measures that are in place are not followed (Searle, et.al. 2). Itis surprisingly easy to gain access to restricted areas in many airports inthe world, including areas that lead directly to the tarmac where planes areparked. Security ProblemsAirports where significant problems with security can be found are notlimited to countries where internal strife has been present for years norare they limited to Asian or Arabian countries although the incidence is fargreater in these countries. For instance, there are periodic hijackings andbomb threats on the route between Beijing and Taiwan, China; the securitymeasures and adherence to them vacillates between good and poor. But othercountries do not implement appropriate security measures at all; Athens,Greece is one of those (Strecker 161). Aids (1426 words) EssayThe best X-ray machine available for screening bags is the CTX-5000 which isa computer-tomography machine. It takes cross-sectional slices and combinesthem into three-dimensional images. The process is fairly slow because twomachines have to operate in parallel fashion to scan the bags thus thescreeners are able to process only about 450 bags an hour. The cost is $1million per machine. OHare airport in Chicago has two of the 50 machinesthat are currently in use (Fischetti 43). Although some companies are in the process of developing similar machinesthat will cost about half that price, they are still very expensive and thisis the dilemma. Who is going to pay the price?ConclusionAirport security is a major concern across the world. Some airports aresafer than others, of course, but it would seem that here in the UnitedStates several areas are not attended to as carefully as they should be. Baggage screening is one of those areas. The technology exists but it iscostly and one question that is often asked is: is it worth it to spend thatamount of money. Perhaps, the officials asking this question should pose itto the survivors of victims. There can be no doubt about their answer yes, it is worth it. Works CitedBarnes, Edward. The Next Bomb: No Airport In The U.S. Is Safe' LIFE,(1989): March 1, pp. 132 138. Fay, Jim. Terrorism. Computer Sentry, URL:http://www.infowar.com/class_3/class3_5.html-ssiFischetti, Mark. Defusing Airline Terrorism. Technology Review, Vol. 100,pp. 38 47. Lane, Earl Drive For Perfect Security Device Blocks Other Avenues.Newsday, (1996): December 19, pp. 6 8. Searle, Clay, Kempshall, Dick and Hughes, Jim. Profile System. PLESProfessional Law Enforcement, (1997): URL: http://www.ples.com/index.htmlSTI Breezecom Chosen For Revolutionary Airport Security System. SoftwareTechnology Profile, (1996): November, pp. 1 3. Stoller, Gary. Security Gets Better; Still Has Flaws. USA Today (1997):November 18, p. 12. Strecker, Erica, Cross-Strait Air Piracy: Its Impact On ROC-PRC Relations.(1994): An American Review, (1994): Vol. 21, pp. 148 171. reening luggage. There are machines, however, that can do both but they arecostly.