Checkpoint Doctrine
New technologies, such as whole body
imaging, can help solve the detection
problem but before we deploy them we
need some good doctrine on the
operational concept. Clearly we cannot
simply drop new technologies into the old
models and expect any success.
The Military
We often turn to the military for
leadership in security-related procedures.
How about in checkpoint doctrine? After
all, the military have faced the problem of
screening people for some time and the
spate of recent wars from Iraq to Timor
have highlighted the issue. Yet we have
seen very little leadership from the
military and even in Iraq the military faces
the problem of not having any “checkpoint
doctrine”; the good things being done
there are a few isolated cases where the
“boots on the ground” have “pulled” some
new technologies into key checkpoints
and done it with commercial equipment
and advice from a handful of US firms.
Normally the best place to look for
excellence in any field is where the most
issues are.
After 9/11, one would think the US within the state’s borders. Equally
would be the leader since the issue to be
“…the screeners
unfortunately, whilst we can all learn from
resolved was primarily checkpoint-based the Israelis, much of the benefit is lost
and because most of the security
themselves should
because many people believe that the
technology continues to be developed in Israelis do not care about people’s
the US. Almost bizarrely, much was done feel protected, personal rights or privacy. In my
within the aircraft and flight operations experience, they do care, but given the
doctrine was adapted, yet here we are five
especially given that
fact that politics colours many peoples
years post 9/11 and very little has
changed at airport checkpoints in the US.
they are normally
views, Israel is perhaps not the most
acceptable rôle model.
The poor job of introducing anything
unarmed and an
I believe that, today, the most
new, in the way of doctrine, in either cargo progressive security practices outside of
screening or passenger checkpoints by
armed response may
Israel are being developed in the
the TSA in the US is legend and one feels European Union. As an American, it’s a
like one is beating a dead horse to take
be minutes away…”
bitter pill for me to swallow that we, with
them to task. Everyone else does, so it is probably the most checkpoints in the
not necessary to do so here. but also visitors, staff and detainees who world and the best new technologies,
have not yet been convicted of a crime; have given up on doctrinal leadership.
Prisons persons, in other words, who have not lost One reason for this is that the Europeans
Prisons are a great place to both study their privacy rights. have listened to and observed the
checkpoint doctrine and to test Israelis, adapted their approach to the
technology because the population being International Leadership European environment and are, overall,
checked is almost always intent on trying In reality, if we are going to look for much more pragmatic about security.
to get things through – normally excellence in checkpoint security They also have fewer lawyers who seem
contraband. But, the problem with prisons leadership on a national basis, one has to intent on blocking improvements based
is that their budget is limited and this look outside the United States. on misguided arguments about
results in a technology lag. At the same It has long been recognised that Israel governments attacking our personal
time, privacy issues are less of a concern, is probably the world’s most “progressive” privacy and human rights. Within Europe,
so some of the technologies that are and proficient nation in terms of security the best of best right now, that I have
considered by some as being invasive doctrine. Unfortunately, the country faces observed, are the Dutch and the British.
would be acceptable within such an the issues of bombing and terrorist- In fact, the European Commercial Aviation
environment, even though many of those related violence on an almost daily basis Conference (ECAC) does a really good job
being screened are not only the prisoners both at their land border crossings and in sharing information trianglert
Aviationsecurityinternational February 2007 www.asi-mag.com 23
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