Airport Staff Access Control
20 tonnes of freight, could destroy a 50% at Vancouver International Airport.
plane in a second. RCMP found Vancouver to be the focus of
Sir John Wheeler audited Australian 100% of counterfeit goods smuggling in
airports in 2005. After three months of Canada, all of the heroin being smuggled
analysis, he issued a report regarding from India, accounting for almost half of all
the failures and dysfunctions of the cocaine smuggling in Canada, significant
Australian civil aviation security system human trafficking and half of all the
and the protection it afforded the organised crime activity in Canada.
industry it served. Criticism was Australia, Canada…it’s a safe bet that
expressed in these (and other) areas: we would find the same issues prevalent
at other airports around the world if we
circle6 Different intelligence agencies didn’t were to look for them!
share essential information; Aviation security depends on proactive,
common sense, effective measures and
circle6 Airports managers and the Police the certainty that people working on
didn’t communicate efficiently; airports are professional, without
criminal past history and ethically
circle6 An atmosphere existed at airports reliable. Accordingly, some of the
whereby criminal activity was essential questions we need to ask are:
widespread and that such activity
could offer terrorists opportunities for circle6 Who is authorised to work on an Who can authorise an access
carrying out more serious acts; airport? pass?
The actual authorisation of an access
circle6 Airports being unaware as to the extent circle6 How do we guarantee their integrity? pass should be the responsibility of the
of criminal activity taking place; Police (or other State Security) Authority,
circle6 And, who should authorise an access which should also have its own internal
circle6 Risk existed of staff identity pass? quality control procedures to quickly
falsification and the concealment of detect potential dysfunctions.
criminal pasts Who is authorised to work But, it’s not only authorising the pass, it
on an airport? should also be the authority responsible
A Royal Canadian Mounted Police Anyone should be able to work on an for effecting periodic checks on those
(RCMP) inquiry claimed, in 2007, that all airport, within their field of competence who already have passes; perhaps the
Canadian major airports had been and subject to their ethical integrity. employee didn’t have a criminal record
infiltrated by organised crime. The However, all employees working at an when he or she commenced employment,
investigation, dubbed Project Spawn, airport must also become passive security but later acquires one.
examined hundreds of police files at agents, regardless as to their specific job;
Canada’s eight largest airports between they must be attentive to security failings Conclusion
2005 and 2007, and concluded that and prepared to collaborate with the police The human factor is the weak link in the
hundreds of people were involved in and other concerned authorities. airport security chain.
criminal activity at airports, including Each employee working at the airport The time is long overdue for a rethink
almost 300 current or former airport must have undergone background checks, as to how we should control access to
employees. More than 1,000 people not effected by their employer. Any failure in the sterile areas of airports and whom
employed at an airport were still able to this regard should result in severe financial we should permit to be there. All too
use connections for criminal purposes. Of penalties for the employer and the often we dismiss the issue as being too
the 58 organised crime groups included in potential withdrawal of a licence to operate difficult to tackle.
the report, 60% were known to be using at the airport for repeat offenders. There is no point in creating a “Maginot
Toronto International Airport, followed by Line” as a hurdle for peaceful passengers
How do we guarantee their to overcome if the terrorists are already on
integrity? the tarmac…
In addition to requesting employee
“elipsisperhaps the declarations regarding their criminal
records (or lack thereof) respectable
employee didn’t have a employers must also ensure that all claims
made in their application are genuine. This The author is a seasoned Executive with
criminal record when relates to educational diplomas, previous a background in management, financial
employment and residency. In the case of controls, auditing and security. He is also
he or she commenced security agents and related staff, a recognised civil aviation security expert
employment checks should be on a par previously employed by ADP (Aeroports
employment, but later with those applying to join the police force. de Paris). He has been a consultant since
Unfortunately that’s far from being the 2003. He can be contacted at
acquires oneelipsis” case at many airports around the world! alain.establier@airportsecurityconsulting.com
40 Register now for FREE instant access to ASI online by visiting www.asi-mag.com February 2009 Aviationsecurityinternational
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