Behavioural Analysis
“SPOT is designed to provide our check everybody,” Rugala said. “Even
BDOs with non-intrusive techniques to though the probability is very low that
detect individuals who may pose a some of these folks might be involved in
threat to security by identifying some of these things; you can never say
involuntary physical and physiological never. We can’t let our guard down. We
reactions one exhibits in response to the have to be right every time. The terrorists
fear of being discovered,” Uselding said. only have to be right once. Being a
“The SPOT programme is a derivative behaviour profiler, I can tell you that we
of other behavioural analysis focus specifically on behaviour and not
programmes that have been demographics or racial or ethnic issues.
successfully employed by We’re looking at unusual behaviour that
law enforcement and might make an individual stand out from
security personnel both everybody else.”
in the United States and In order to know that an individual is
around the world.” standing out from everyone else, officers
No matter where the need to be familiar with their
officer is analysing surroundings in order to determine what
behaviour in the world, activities really are out of the ordinary
one of the biggest keys and require further investigation,
is focusing solely on the according to both Rugala and Juchtman.
person’s behaviour and “They need to have a benchmark to
avoiding racial profiling. decide that this is an unusual activity,”
Juchtman, Uselding and Juchtman said.
Ekman all mentioned Another way Juchtman trains officers to
this as did Eugene look for unusual and suspicious
Rugala, senior advisor behaviour is by promoting customer
for threat assessment service. He recommends that officers get
and management at the involved when a passenger needs help
Center for Personal Protection navigating the airport or has questions.
and Safety. This gives the officer another chance to
Rugala, who retired as an observe the passenger’s behaviour and
FBI profiler in 2005, was determine if any suspicious activity is
involved with consulting the taking place.
early stages of the SPOT No matter what their training or location,
Behavioural signs of nervousness could indicate that a programme for TSA. He security officers are the first line of defence
passenger is simply nervous of flying or concerned about said avoiding racial in identifying suspicious behaviour.
issues in his or her personal life. Equally they could profiling was one of the top “The most accurate tool we have is the
indicate that the person has more sinister intent and, as priorities from the well-trained observer,” Ekman said. “The
such, they must not be ignored. beginning. “We have to Israelis gave us the data because, in terms
“Although [micro-expressions] may
occur because you’re worried about the
argument you had with your wife before
you left home or whether you forgot to
turn the lights off in your car, they can
also occur when there is malevolent
intent,” he said. “These signs that
they’re looking for are only sufficient to
cause the BDO to go up and ask
someone a question.”
Ekman said the micro-expression training
takes up only about two of the 16 hours
that BDOs are trained by TSA. Laura
Uselding, a public affairs manager with
TSA, said BDOs undergo four days of
classroom instruction in behaviour
observation and analysis and then spend
24 hours in on-the-job training at an actual
airport security checkpoint. Currently TSA The SARS crisis brought about the introduction of thermal imaging cameras in airports to
has 2,400 BDOs at airports throughout the detect potentially infectious travellers. The same technology is being investigated as a way
United States. of identifying heatspots on a passenger's face as a result of stress (Credit: Land Industries)
12 Register now for FREE instant access to ASI online by visiting www.asi-mag.com April 2009 Aviationsecurityinternational
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