The new head of the Transportation Security Administration says he wants to quickly shore up the vulnerabilities revealed by a series of recent security lapses. Peter Neffenger was sworn in as the agency’s chief Monday. Geoff Bennett filed this report on what the TSA is doing to improve its security screening.
The Transportation Security Administration is again under new leadership.
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson on Monday swore in Peter Neffenger as the sixth administrator in the TSA's history.
In a statement, Neffenger said the TSA's mission is critical to the nation's safety.
His first priority is reforming the beleaguered airport security agency.
"The TSA for over decade now has been a horribly bureaucratic agency," said Chris Edwards of the CATO Institute. "They don't seem to learn from their past mistakes."
The TSA is under fire after agents failed to find fake bombs and weapons during a recent spate of undercover stings at nearly all of America's busiest airports.
In one instance, a TSA screener reportedly let an undercover agent through a checkpoint with a fake bomb strapped to his back. The screener missed it during a pat-down.
Johnson says the agency is in the process of revising its procedures, testing detection equipment and retraining agents.
"I have directed 'back to basics' training for every TSA officer in the country," Johnson said.
Johnson says the agency is also taking a second look at a TSA practice called "managed inclusion."
"Managed inclusion is the process at airports by which travelers are diverted from standard screening lanes to expedited screening lanes, along with members of TSA pre-check," Johnson said.
And if you've flown recently, you might have noticed more manual screenings at security checkpoints across the country. That's because TSA agents have stepped up the use of handheld metal detectors. It's yet another safeguard in light of the disturbing series of security lapses.