GAO to take a second look at airport perimeter security

Not that any of our readers have anything to fear, but surely they can enjoy a bit of preemptive schadenfreude. According to Government Security, the Government Accountability Office will start the new year with a series of on-site investigations of airport permiter security regimes — perhaps even including a special undercover unit charged with testing perimeter weaknesses. “Teams of federal agents could be prowling airport perimeters next year as congressional investigators scrutinize federal efforts to safeguard planes, tarmacs and runways,” the magazine reported. Investigators will also be taking a close look at background checks, training, and planning initiatives — issues that GAO had identified as major problems in a 2004 report. “We’re basically looking to see where TSA stands on the issues we raised in our previous report,” says Norman Rabkin of GAO.

GAO can snoop as much it wishes, says TSA — the agency has nothing to be ashamed of. According to TSA spokeswoman Sari Koshetz, TSA has followed GAO recommendations to require fingerprint-based background checks and security training for all airport workers. Moreover, over the last two years TSA and the Federal Aviation Administration have helped pay for the construction of perimeter access roads, the installation of electronic surveillance systems and security fences at airports around the country. In addition, $16 million in federal grants have paid for state-of-the art perimeter control surveillance and ground radar systems and exit lane controls. Nevertheless, it cannot hurt for GAO to take a closer look. Not that we do not trust Koshetz’s word. It is just that in matters of such importance, we follow the Russian proverb “doveriai, no proveriai” — trust, but verify.

-read more in this Government Security report