The Transportation Security Administration Essay

The Transportation Security Administration - Essay Example The TSA is also charged with the responsibility of inspecting rail cars, looking for bombs at checkpoints in and around the country's airports, and patrolling subways (Transport Security Administration, 2008). To better understand the TSA, it is crucial that we look at its mission and core values, and how they have been achieved. As already mentioned, the TSA is mandated to protect the transportation systems of the country in a way that would ensure free movement of people and trade. Its vision, though not yet attained, is to persistently guide the standards for distinction in transportation security through its processes, technology, and people (Transport Security Administration, 2008). To achieve its shared goals and enhance its mission performance, the TSA has set aside some core values. Let me present them in a summary form for they will be instrumental in gauging the situation at TSA and how improvements need to be carried out. Though its mission, vision, and core values may reflect a picture of a very efficient and effective agency, TSA has been faced by numerous scandals and criticisms since its inception in 2001. Judging by the magnitude of some of the high-profile scandals, the situation at TSA can be said to be pretty bad. ... Team spirit TSA is made up of respectful, open, and dedicated people in the business of improving the lives of others. TSA takes pride in challenges, success, and aims at winning in all its endeavors. TSA takes pride in building teams around its core strengths. Evaluating the situation at TSA Though its mission, vision, and core values may reflect a picture of a very efficient and effective agency, TSA has been faced by numerous scandals and criticisms since its inception in 2001. Judging by the magnitude of some of the high-profile scandals, the situation at TSA can be said to be pretty bad. Let me analyze the scandals and criticisms one at a time so that the real picture of TSA inefficiencies and how it can improve can be drawn out. TSA Scanners and screeners Judging by what happened on September 11 2001 in the United States after the terrorists strike, TSA should be in the forefront to ensure that such an occurrence do not happen again. Many innocent people lost their lives in that fateful day when terrorists hijacked some planes only to ram them against the World Trade centre. Against this backdrop, TSA was established and given the mandate of checking for bombs and other dangerous weapons from passengers, especially those boarding aero planes, and those on transit (Boyd, 2005). But the TSA scanners and screeners are not up to this task. In recent tests conducted to ascertain whether their scanners could detect bombs, 75 percent of fake bombs could not be identified by their security screeners at LAX. 60 percent of fake bomb components could not be smoked out in Chicago O'Hare by TSA security scanners. Detection levels by private security firms were much higher, with only 20