How do you make the public respect a federal agency that’s become a punchline to every other joke about air travel? Why, you give the Transportation Security Administration new uniforms and badges, of course.
The federal screeners will soon sport 3-inch-by-2-inch, silver-colored, copper and zinc badges that will be worn on new royal-blue police-style shirts. The aim of the new attire is to convey an image of authority to passengers, who have “harassed, pushed and in a few instances punched screeners,” according to reports.
“It’ll go a long way to enhance the respect of this workforce,” says A.J. Castilla, a screener at Boston’s Logan Airport and a spokesman for a screeners union.
Not everyone is happy about the new badges and uniforms. Actual airport police, who carry guns and have arrest powers, worry that their own authority will be undercut by screeners who look like police.”
FedBlog at Government Executive notes:
“… police officers’ organizations aren’t very happy about the move — especially those who work at airports. They think it will just sow seeds of confusion about who the real cops are and create the impression that baggage screeners can handle crimes.”
Paul Mason, chief of the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport police, worries that passengers will mistake badge-wearing screeners for police and expect them to handle crimes. “There are going to be some growing pains on the part of the (screeners) and police,” he warns.
Duane McGray of the Airport Law Enforcement Agencies Network adds that “A lot of cops at airports are not real thrilled about it…It’s another way of saying (to airport police), ‘You’re not important’.”
The idea of TSA-agents-as-cops is getting a lukewarm reception online. A blogger who calls herself Capitol Hill 20210 writes that, “As someone in the law enforcement field, that has had to deal with these people before abusing their authority – this is a really bad idea.”
I believe that the TSA officers are getting a bum rap. A good number are hard working, trying to do their jobs, even saving a life or two. However, some also need to make an attitude adjustment.
Besides, according to FedBlog, before the screeners will be issued their new merit badges they need to “…complete a two-day training course on the implications of projecting the new sense of authority — including instruction on how to communicate calmly with passengers.”
