DHS finds major staffing problems at TSA

Even a blind man travelling through the nation’s airports can tell there is something going wrong with the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) staffing procedures. We once missed a flight after we were singled out for a pass through an explosives detection portal and were forced to wait fifteen minutes for a qualified screener to wave us through. At other times, however, it seems that the screeners are standing around without purpose. Since 2004 TSA has been working on a plan to reapportion its work force, and a new DHS inspector general’s report explains why: Administrative staffing decisions bear little relation to the size of the airport. Some airports had 300-400 screeners and over thirty administrators, for a 10:1 ratio; but others with over 1,000 screeners had 10-15 administrators, for up to a 100:1 ratio.

As digested by Christian Beckner of the must-read blog Homeland Security Watch, the report made four recommendations:

BULLET POINTS

Conduct a workforce analysis of FSD administrative staff and develop a staffing model to identify the number of employees actually needed at airports. This analysis should identify key mission areas and responsibilities; and take into consideration the time and nature of administrative work performed by screeners when assessing its workforce requirements

Review proposed adjustments to FSD staffing levels and ratios of administrative to screener personnel. In particular, proposed changes to Hawaii’s administrative staff caught our attention as warranting more review

Continue to study technologies or systems that will automate data entry functions at airports.

Reclassify administrative positions using more inclusive position titles to incorporate more of the functions employees perform and facilitate the hiring of administrative personnel.

-read more in this DHS report; read Christian Beckner’s analysis