TSA: Not Just for Airports

By: |Published on: Aug 13, 2020|Categories: Surveillance, TSA|

A recent UPI article revealed how the Government Accountability Office (GAO) wants TSA inspectors to give risk assessments to America’s entire transportation network. And we’re not just talking about in airports.

The GAO wants to send TSA Surface Inspectors to quantifiable targets all over the country.

“The Government Accountability Office on Monday recommended that the Transportation Security Administration establish quantifiable targets for its Surface Transportation Security Inspectors Program.”

Are you wondering who or what those “quantifiable targets” are? Prepare yourself. It isn’t pretty.

A GAO report titled “Surface Transportation Security: TSA Has Taken Steps to Improve its Surface Inspector Program, but Lacks Performance Targets” reveals that TSA inspectors are conducting risk assessments or America’s roads and mass transit.

“The nation’s surface transportation system includes nearly 140,000 miles of railroad track and 4 million miles of roads,” the report said.”It supports nearly 10 billion mass transit trips annually.”

The GAO report reveals that TSA inspectors are no longer constrained to our airports.

“Within the federal government, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is the entity primarily responsible for securing surface transportation modes. TSA’s Surface Transportation Security Inspectors Program (surface inspector program) implements the agency’s mission by deploying surface transportation security inspectors, known as Surface Inspectors, throughout the country to enforce regulations and assist surface transportation entities with security-related matters.”

TSA Surface Inspectors are using the Performance and Results Information System (PARIS) to assess Amtrak, commuter rail systems, subway systems, mass transit bus companies, freight rail roads, private motor coach companies, school bus companies, trucking companies and maritime transportation companies.

“TSA’s domain included nearly 140,000 miles of railroad track, over 2.5 million miles of pipeline, and 4 million miles of roads. We also reported that there were 10 billion annual passenger trips on mass transit systems, including 24 million students on school buses each day.”

The eCFR Register title 49 warns that TSA Surface Inspectors have the authority to inspect anything they want without warning.

“The persons described in paragraph (a) of this section must allow TSA and other authorized DHS officials, at any time and in a reasonable manner, without advance notice, to enter, inspect, and test property, facilities, equipment, and operations; and to view, inspect, and copy records, as necessary to carry out TSA’s security-related statutory or regulatory authorities, including its authority to – enter, without advance notice, and be present within any area or within any conveyance without access media or identification media issued or approved by a railroad carrier, rail transit system owner or operator, rail hazardous materials shipper, or rail hazardous materials receiver in order to inspect or test compliance, or perform other such duties as TSA may direct.”

TSA’s “quantifiable targets” include people using mass transit

The TSA’s PARIS system is eerily similar to DHS’s, No Fly List. “It records, the details of security incidents involving passenger and property screening. PARIS maintains personally identifiable information about individuals, including witnesses, involved in security incidents or regulatory enforcement activities.”

Have you ever taken pictures while using public transit, or complained about its reliability? Have you ever questioned transit police or the CBP for asking for people’s ID’s on public transit?  TSA’s Surface Inspectors could put your name on the No-Fly list for any number of suspicious activities.

“PARIS data also are used in air traveler security screening decisions through the creation and management of a list of individuals who are disqualified from eligibility to participate in the TSA Pre√  program for expedited screening (the TSA Pre√ Disqualification Protocol List).”

According to the TSA, PARIS collects and maintains information on members of the public involved in (as subjects or witnesses) security incidents at airports or other transportation facilities, as well as individuals involved in regulatory inspections at such facilities.

  • Name;
  • Driver’s License number (if available);
  • Passport number (if available);
  • Physical description;
  • Date of birth;
  • Gender;
  • Address;
  • Contact information;
  • Military status (branch, traveling on orders);
  • Watchlist status; and
  • Results of any law enforcement checks for individuals involved in a security incident

There really is no justification for the TSA or DHS to be collecting the names of people using mass transportation.

Who needs social credit scores when the TSA has by hook or by crook essentially created their own version of one under our very noses. The TSA Pre√ program determines if any American can fly domestically or leave the country for any reason.

This post was originally published at MassPrivatel and is reprinted with permission.

Tags: DHS, GAO, PARIS, Privacy, surveillance, TSA

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