OIA may get beefed-up security
BY DONNA BALANCIA
FLORIDA TODAY
Orlando International Airport could be one of many airports across the nation to use a new covert system implemented by the Transportation Security Administration to deter terrorist activities.
A new security program called Screening Passengers by Observation Techniques or SPOT -- in which uniformed Transportation Security Administration officers are dispatched across the country to observe passenger behavior -- has been deployed at more than a dozen airports deemed "high-risk," TSA spokeswoman Sari Koshetz said.
She would not disclose whether Orlando International is on that list. Boston Logan was the pilot program for SPOT, started in June 2003.
"The program has already been rolled out to more than a dozen airports, but we're not going to comment on which airports they are, for security reasons," Koshetz said. "We believe in a multilayered approach to security so those who want to do us harm won't be able to game the system."
In many cases, the TSA officers trained in observation techniques will watch for passengers who may not exhibit typical traveler behaviors. The end of 2008 is the target date to complete the rollout, Koshetz said.
However, for some, the program may indicate an opportunity to detain people unnecessarily.
Attorney Tonya Meister of Lipcon, Margulies and Alsina said the new program raises concerns.
"I would be concerned that they not target people based on appearance, meaning profiling," Meister said. "I wouldn't want people to get targeted by race or socioeconomic factors."
