The head of the Transportation Security Administration, John Pistole, acknowledged to a Senate committee Wednesday that controversial new airport security procedures are more invasive, but said they are necessary to protect American travelers from the threat of terrorism.
“It’s my job as administrator to try to find that balance,” Pistole told the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. “I recognize the invasiveness of it. I also recognize that the threat is real, the stakes are high and we must prevail.”
Pistole testified in response to public outcry over pat-downs and Advanced Image Technology (AIT) screenings being performed by TSA agents at U.S. airports.
“We’re getting hundreds of calls,” said Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C. “They want us to be on top of this.”
Sen. George LeMieux, R-Fla., echoed the concerns of many Americans over the invasive elements of the searches, saying, “I wouldn’t want my wife to be touched in the way these people are being touched.”
Pistole, who received one of the pat-downs himself before the new policy went into effect last month, said the TSA decided to implement the procedures after an analysis of intelligence reports and covert security testing. The new policy allows TSA screeners to detect “artfully concealed objects” that had not been seen in the past, Pistole said.
While he expressed understanding for privacy concerns, Pistole defended the policy as a crucial development to guarantee the safety of travelers.
“We need to ensure for everyone, for all the traveling public that when they get on a plane, they have the highest confidence that everyone else on that flight has been adequately screened,” he said.
Pat-downs are used when a passenger sets off an alarm when going through an AIT or metal detector screening. They are also employed when travelers refuse to participate in an AIT screening, which produces a detailed, full-body image. Pistole said the TSA offers private pat-downs for passengers who are uncomfortable with the invasive nature of the screenings.
Pistole also guaranteed the privacy of passengers who go through AIT devices. The TSA administrator explained that the agent who views the full-body image never sees the traveler’s face. Pistole also said the AIT machines do not have the capability to save or re-create any images.
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., spoke up for women concerned about a frisking. “I’m wildly excited that I can walk through a machine instead of getting my dose of love pats,” she said.
But Pistole assured the committee that the developments were necessary in the balancing act between security and privacy, and he said the best possible technology is being used.
Pistole also called on Americans to familiarize themselves with the new procedures and to cooperate with the government to ensure travel safety.
“I would just make an appeal to the American people to go to the TSA website, to see what the latest practices, protocols and procedures are and to be the best informed travelers as possible,” he said. “The better informed they can be, the better partnership we can have to provide that best possible security.”