TSA Behavior Detection Program Still Flawed, Unproven
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the below statement in response to a Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG) verification review of the Transportation Security Administration’s Behavior Detection and Analysis (BDA) program, previously known as the Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques (SPOT) program.
“Today's verification review from the DHS Inspector General serves as another reminder of why the funding of TSA’s newly renamed Behavior Detection and Analysis program should be limited by Congress. Even though the IG found that TSA complied with one recommendation from their 2013 investigation, TSA has not executed plans to demonstrate the program’s effectiveness. To this day, TSA has yet to provide the scientific validation of the effectiveness of the BDA program and, unfortunately, the program is known more for racial and ethnic profiling than detecting terrorist activity. As I have said for some time, the thousands of officers dedicated to this program could be reassigned to screening operations to address security checkpoint wait times.”
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Media contact: Adam Comis at (202) 225-9978
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