[b]Federal officers to police airports 'Trusted-traveler' ID card to be tested
By Blake Morrison
USA TODAY


The federal government will hire thousands of armed law enforcement officers in coming years to patrol the nation's airports, the new undersecretary of Transportation told USA TODAY this week.

In an interview days before the Transportation Security Administration takes responsibility for aviation security Sunday, its leader John Magaw also said he was skeptical about a ''trusted-traveler'' ID card. But the administration will test the concept, possibly with members of Congress, he said.

Magaw said the new federal agents will work in tandem with police and other federal authorities currently at airports. He called their role ''hugely different'' than that of Federal Aviation Administration inspectors, who handle regulatory, not law enforcement, issues.

''If we open up their locker, I would expect to see undercover clothes . . . to work undercover and just watch the public and look for things that don't fit,'' Magaw said. ''I would see them in sport coat and shirt and tie working some investigations. I would see them in different clothing out on the ramp and in back exits, making sure people aren't subverting some of those checkpoints. And I would see them in uniform backing up those checkpoints.''

How many agents will be hired remains uncertain. Magaw said initial projections range from 3,000 to 5,000, but he cautioned that hiring and training will take time. ''We wouldn't have that by the end of the year,'' Magaw said.

Meanwhile, the agency might contract with local police or ask other federal law enforcement agencies to temporarily reassign officers.

''In each airport, what we're going to do fairly quickly is try to determine with the local law enforcement . . . what do we need to have there,'' Magaw said. ''The American public, as they come up to those checkpoints this weekend, they're going to expect to see federal law enforcement.''

The new Aviation and Transportation Security Act gives Magaw the power to hire law enforcement personnel even though his agency is under the supervision of the Department of Transportation.

Magaw said a test program for the special ID card could feature members of Congress and flight crews as the initial subjects. The card is designed to speed travelers through security, but Magaw said an ID holder's baggage would still be screened.

Magaw said the agency wants to ''weigh all the pros and cons'' before moving forward on a card. Cardholders would provide detailed information to the agency, along with fingerprints, palm prints or retina scans.[/b]

OH Goody, now we can all "Feel" safer.....especially with the ex leader of ATF running the show.....

soooooo, now we can expect to have Waco/Ruby Ridge re-enacted at the airports?

Looks like I'm never flying again. Oh well I guess I can still get to hawaii by boat.

Maybe the snipers could "pick off" at will any traveler who looked like they might be considering breaking a gun law.

as long as the trusted traveler card isn't implanted or microchiped under the skin on your hand... man I am starting to get paranoid.

Ahhhh but greg, that's the only way to make it "Tamper proof". It will end all this pesky and rampant ID theft going on too. BTW, do you know any one who's ever had their id stolen??

could somebody tell me what would "not fit" in an airport?  obviously somebody racking the slide back on a pistol or making connections for the C4 bomb in his back pack.  but what else?

so now there are certain behaviors that are going to automatically cause suspicion?  what about the poor soul who has never flown before and is worried about some other terrorist attack.  can't you just see him looking around suspiciously at everybody else wondering if [i]they[/i] are the bad guys.  some jerk-off fed undercover cop sees this and right away jumps to the erroneous conclusion that this poor, unfortunate soul is trying to hide something.

what a crock of horse puckey!  you want safer planes?  let the citizens protect themselves!!!!!!!!!!

hmmmm.....methinks we are going to be living in interesting times......

Un-f-ing believable.  I keep thinking of that Binladen Video, where, that EVIL S.O.B. is laughing about how living in America will become unbearable.  Seems that some beaurecrats are intent on making his prediction come true.

Where are the Ben Franklins, and Thomas Jeffersons of today?

The horse has escaped from the barn.
I think the most disgusting thing about this whole mess is that it could have been prevented if there were Air Marshal's on the friggen planes to begin with. Besides the horrific loss of life, how much is all this going to cost us?

My boss tried to fly last week and they refused to let him on the plane because his breath smelled like alcohol. I guess the airport bar is just for after you've landed. I'm flying to Sacramento tomorrow.First time flying since the kamikaze flights. (They were not "bombings") Can you get in trouble for saying "Lets Roll!" a lot?