Aviation Security 11

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Chapter 12

 

 

Security Operations

 In this chapter, we describe methods and theories related to security operations, including airport policing, private security officers in the aviation environment and security functions of airport operations and other personnel.

 

Aviation security is a multi-layered system, but there are key individuals that are responsible for the day-to-day monitoring and response to threats. Within the aviation environment, security and law enforcement personnel must also recognize that “airport’s mean business,” which infers that there is an economic and public relations component, as well as a protection and response component.

 

 

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Introduction

 

 

Being able to counter existing and emerging threats requires developing processes to detect and deter a threat. Implementing systems to respond to an exercised threat is also a required concern of aviation security.

 

The strategies for deterring, detecting, and responding to each are largely similar; the difference is primarily one of scale. Typically, traditional criminal activity produces limited damage or destruction to life and property.

 

As globalization and technologies enable knowledge and information to disseminate, terrorists are able to adapt to new security measures. Security practitioners must continuously be prepared to anticipate the capabilities of each new generation of terrorist.

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Aviation Policing Strategies

 

 

A significant part of the day-to-day concerns of airport security and airline security personnel focuses on routine crimes, such as theft and assault.

 

Airports are in many ways similar to small cities. A major commercial service airport has its own police force, fire department, and emergency medical and first aid services. It has businesses, tenants, and thousands of stakeholders who are not necessarily passengers

 

Property theft is by far the most prevalent crime at an airport.

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Practical Aviation Security – Chapter 12

Aviation Policing Strategies

 

 

Airport law enforcement personnel must be focused on terrorist surveillance and attack methods, and trained in counter-terrorism methods

 

Airport policing required officer to protect critical infrastructure

 

Customer service role

 

Vulnerability assessment process

With the increased threat of terrorism in aviation, airport law enforcement personnel must be focused on terrorist surveillance and attack methods, and trained in counter-terrorism methods such as suspicious awareness and active shooter.

 

Airport policing also requires a type of officer that is more aligned with protecting critical infrastructure, responding to security violations at the checkpoint and on inbound aircraft and irate passengers.

 

Airport police are often thrust into a customer service role as uniformed police officers are often the most visible symbols of authority that passengers can approach for assistance.

 

While the airport police department is an important part of the entire airport organization, it is not more important than the other parts.

 

Another issue related to airport policing is the vulnerability assessment process and the prioritization of certain elements of the airport that should be more heavily protected, to ensure the safety of passengers and the continuity of business.

 

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Practical Aviation Security – Chapter 12

Aviation Policing Strategies

 

 

Community policing

 

Integrated community with vested interest in protection against criminal and terrorist threats

 

Proactive problem solving instead of reacting to problems

Community policing is a philosophy that supports the use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques to address the conditions that give rise to criminal activity

 

Translated to the airport environment the airlines, airport management, tenants, vendors, contractors and even the passengers, are all members of an integrated community and all have a vested interest in the protection against both criminal and terrorist threats.

 

Community policing stresses proactive problem solving instead of reacting to problems, which makes it a perfect environment for the airport

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Practical Aviation Security – Chapter 12

Aviation Policing Strategies

 

 

Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED)

 

Increase the effort needed to commit a crime

Increasing the risks of the crime

Reducing the rewards of the crime

Reducing provocations

Removing excuses enabling crime opportunity

In addition to a community policing paradigm, airport security can also incorporate concepts from the Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) body of work. The rationale behind CPTED is that there are five methods that affect the decision-making process of an offender or potential offender

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Reinforcement

    • A significant part of the day-to-day concerns of airport security and airline security personnel focuses on routine crimes, such as theft and assault

 

    • Property theft is by far the most prevalent crime at an airport

 

  • Airport law enforcement personnel must be focused on terrorist surveillance and attack methods, and trained in counter-terrorism methods such as suspicious awareness and active shooter.

 

    • Community policing stresses proactive problem solving instead of reacting to problems

 

    • Airport security can also incorporate concepts from the Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) body of work

 

Security Management Systems (SEMS)

 

 

Risk is a subjective concept that needs to be qualified individual basis (Sennewald, 2011). The risk management program quantifies, qualifies and mitigates concerns for an organization, such as an airport or air carrier

 

In the aviation industry risk is a shared responsibility amongst airports, airlines and the TSA.

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Practical Aviation Security – Chapter 12

Security Management Systems (SEMS)

 

 

Four elements

 

Security policy

Security risk management

Security assurance

Security promotion

 

The industry has been adopting safety management systems (SMS) as a way to increase safety throughout the aviation industry. Although it is a relatively new term, another international concept that is slowly gaining widespread acceptance is SeMS, security management systems.

 

Each of these elements relates to the fundamentals of risk management, which are the risk analysis, risk assessment and tracking, risk mitigation and risk reporting, but each have been re-couched in the SeMS vocabulary.

 

Security policy is managements written commitment to providing a secure environment.

 

Security risk management is the process of identifying potential risks, qualifying the risk as to whether it actually exists, determining the probability of it occurring, and determining its impact and the total effect.

 

Security assurance consists of conducting audits, test of the system, and frequent reviews to determine systems and procedures are functioning correctly.

 

Security promotion includes both physical promotions, such as newsletters, posters and other visual reminders, but also promotes the culture of security within the organization.

 

Qualifying the risk involves determining whether the facility has been prone to a particular type of incident in the past or whether there have been other occurrences of the same type other similar facilities. In the aviation sector, the significant risks are well documented

 

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Practical Aviation Security – Chapter 12

Security Management Systems (SEMS)

 

 

Security Risk Management

 

  • Identify assets
  • Specify loss events (types of hazards, man-made, natural)
  • Determine the potential frequency of such events
  • Determine the impact of the events
  • Identify options to mitigate (i.e. prevent, minimize damage or accelerate recovery cycle)
  • Determine the feasibility of options
  • Perform cost/benefit analysis
  • Decide which options to pursue
  • Reassessment

 

 

According to the American Society of Industrial Security’s (ASIS) General Security Risk Assessment guidelines (ASIS, 2003) security assessments follow a nine step process.

 

ASIS recommends that the first step in any risk assessment is to develop an understanding of the people, the assets at risk and the system in place.

 

Security personnel have limited control over who can access the airfield (i.e. what aircraft land) and how those individuals have been screened or what materials or items they may be bringing into the facility.

 

Understanding the organization includes the assets: people, property, core business, networks, and information.

 

The vulnerability assessment should include both traditional forms of aviation terrorism, bombings, hijackings, active shooter, and criminal activity.

 

Upon identification, each risk must be assessed a potential consequence and a probability.

 

ASIS suggests the use formulas to determine the probability of an event, its consequences, its frequency and so on.

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Practical Aviation Security – Chapter 12

Security Management Systems (SEMS)

 

 

Self inspections

 

Regular (performed at least once a day)

Continuous (performed any time they are in the airfield)

Periodic (detailed inspection of certain facilities)

Special (performed anytime there in an incident or condition other than normal operations)

Another component to a Security Management System is the implementation of a daily airport self-inspection security procedure.

 

Under Title 14 CFR Part 139, commercial service airports perform a variety of “self-inspections,” to ensure the airport meets the regulatory safety requirements.

 

The regular security inspection should include all areas of the airport perimeter, gates, key access points, both in the airfield and within the terminal building.

 

Continuous inspection items would include checking personnel for wearing the proper identification in the SIDA, construction activities to ensure individuals are staying within pre-defined areas, ensuring personnel without proper identification are being properly escorted, ramp side passenger loading and unloading operations (typically in the regional/commuter area where passengers are accessing aircraft by walking across a ramp) and observation of individuals moving through the facility.

 

Periodic inspections, more likely conducted by security personnel rather than airport operations personnel, should include close inspection of the airport perimeter fence, gate operation, and other areas as defined in a vulnerability assessment that are critical to the operation of the security system.

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Airport Crimes

 

 

Airports also experience theft and a variety of other crimes. Airport theft primarily occurs in the terminal and concourse areas, at screening checkpoints, and in the parking lots. Many airport thefts are preventable “opportunity thefts,” which happen when victims have either left vehicles unlocked or left baggage unattended. Distraction crimes and unattended baggage crimes are common in terminal buildings.

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Textbook Page No. 345

Aviation Policing Strategies

Baggage Theft

 

Most baggage and cargo thefts are committed by employees within the airport infrastructure

 

Opportunities for bag theft are frequent. Security regulations are requiring more items to be placed in checked baggage, making it increasingly difficult for travelers to protect their belongings.

 

Prevention of baggage theft is a high priority of airline security personnel. Airline employees have the most unfettered access to passenger baggage and cargo.

 

Strategies for preventing baggage and cargo theft include better background checks of personnel, the use of closed-circuit television (CCTV) in baggage handling and storage areas, and employee awareness programs.

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Air Cargo Theft

 

 

Protecting air cargo from theft and tampering starts with educating the shipper on security practices.

 

CCTV systems should be used in cargo storage areas, together with frequent law enforcement and security patrols through the storage and load/offload areas.

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Drug Smuggling

 

 

Drug smuggling is a major form of crime in aviation. Smugglers frequently use airports and commercial aircraft for conducting their trade.

 

Preventing drug smuggling via the airline requires a solid background check prehiring program, CCTV surveillance of employee work areas, and confidential reporting programs such as anonymous tip lines. Employee education on what to look for can help employees spot potential drug trafficking activity.

 

DEA has been providing training to airport police and security officers under the auspices of a program called “Operation Jetway” which predates the SPOT and BDO programs in effectively identifying drug traffickers, money launderers, and couriers of various types moving through the airport environment.

 

 

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Human Trafficking

Ticket Fraud

Other Crime

 

 

 

According to the Polaris Project, a website and organization focused on the prevention of human trafficking, it is the third largest and fastest growing criminal industry in the world, victimizing millions of people and reaping billions in profit for the traffickers.

 

The aviation industry is an efficient form of transportation for the trafficking of humans worldwide, but awareness of the indicators that human trafficking is taking place can be an effective deterrent.

 

Indicators of human trafficking include missing or altered passports and other identification credentials. Verification of a traveler’s identity is an important way to deter and apprehend human traffickers.

 

Other indicators of trafficking can be revealed during security questioning by asking travelers if they know where their journey is leading, if they have a passport, if they know whom they are meeting, and if they arranged their own travel.

 

Ticket Fraud

Ticket fraud is another common crime at airports. Fraud costs the airlines about $1.5 billion annually. Airline employees can also facilitate ticket fraud.

 

Other Crime

Other forms of crime such as assault, rape, and robbery can also occur in parking garages and at outlying lots. Being able to manage the detection and response to crime under these conditions is a prime concern to the security practitioner.

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Reinforcement

 

    • In the aviation industry risk is a shared responsibility amongst airports, airlines and the TSA.

 

    • Property theft is by far the most prevalent crime at an airport

 

    • Most baggage and cargo thefts are committed by employees within the airport infrastructure

 

    • Protecting air cargo from theft and tampering starts with educating the shipper on security practices

 

    • Drug smuggling is a major form of crime in aviation

 

    • The aviation industry is an efficient form of transportation for the trafficking of humans worldwide

 

Airport Policing Strategies

 

 

 

 

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Practical Aviation Security – Chapter 12

Textbook Page No. 348

Aviation Policing Strategies

 

 

Counterterrorism

 

The US doesn’t have a federal force solely devoted to counterterrorism

There are approximately 5,000 FBI counterterrorism agents in the United States compared to more than 870,000 state and local law enforcement officers.

 

In terms of intelligence gathering, few FBI agents are trained in Islamic radicalism, the Arabic language, the history of terrorism, and related subjects. In contrast, the NYPD has put together a counterterrorism unit that includes members of nearly every ethnic group in the world

 

The United States does not have a federal force solely devoted to counterterrorism, and the agency most closely charged with the counterterrorism mission, the FBI, routinely transfers its agents throughout the country and the world. State and local law enforcement officers are fully integrated into the communities in which they work and live.

 

Terrorist attacks in the United States often require preparation, establishing safe houses, purchasing equipment and supplies, creating false documents, recruiting accomplices, surveillance, and practice sessions. Most of the requirements and related activities are potentially detectable by law enforcement agencies. In this regard, it is more likely that a terrorist operative will have a chance encounter with a local or state law enforcement officer than with a federal agent.

 

The underlying security strategy in New York is building local and state law enforcement personnel into “first preventers”— not just first responders.

 

Training local and state law enforcement officers, especially airport police, to spot signs of terrorist preplanning activities can help turn first responders into first preventers, with little capital outlay.

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Aviation Policing Strategies

Anticrime

 

Airport police:

Handle a wide variety of crime

 

On lookout for and respond to potential violent criminal or terrorist incidents

 

Provide a regulatory enforcement function under ASP

When dealing with most of the travelers at airports, police need to interact with the traveling public with decorum and tact—which is a primary difference between “life on the streets” for a police officer and interacting with individuals at an airport.

 

Airport police:

Handle a wide variety of crime,

Are on the lookout for and respond to potential violent criminal or terrorist incidents

Provide a regulatory enforcement function under the Airport Security Program.

 

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Textbook Page No. 350

Aviation Policing Strategies

Passengers

 

Business travelers

 

Vacationers

 

Emergency travelers

Passengers generally fall into two categories (with some smaller subgroups):

 

Business travelers – tend to know the system

Ask few questions

Are dressed in business or business-casual attire

Carry little luggage – usually carry-on only

 

Vacationers – usually travel in groups or as families

Seem to smile more than business travelers

Usually relaxed, more easy-going manner

 

Emergency Traveler – traveling because of an emergency

Tend to have less baggage

Focused inwardly

May exhibit the “thousand-yard stare”

May pray or speak quietly to themselves

More anxious than business or vacationer travelers

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Aviation Policing Strategies

Title 49 Section 1542

 

Airport police have a responsibility within airport security program to enforce the rules and regulations at their assigned airport

Law enforcement personnel must exercise understanding and diplomacy to try and defuse a situation before an arrest becomes necessary

 

Title 49 Section 1542 – airport police have a responsibility within the airport security program to enforce the rules and regulations at their assigned airport.

 

This provides the airport security coordinator with a respectable level of input as to how police are used at the airport.

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Textbook Page No. 350

Aviation Policing Strategies

Airports have large areas to cover

Because airports have large areas for police to cover, much of which is not amenable to vehicle use, some airports have equipped their patrol officers with bicycles.

 

Some airports have adopted the Segway for their patrol officer or security officer use. A Segway has the advantage of placing an officer up to eight inches higher than the crowd and allows the officer to maneuver through a crowd more easily than on a bicycle and to not have to dismount to go through a door. A Segway provides high visibility and faster response times than the officer would have on foot.

 

Officers should receive extensive training on airfield driving practices and regulations so that they are able to enforce those practices while on the airfield and can avoid driving onto the runways and taxiways or in front of moving aircraft.

 

When there is a security incident at an airport, numerous parties are involved, and many have some level of authority.

 

The airport director is responsible under federal regulation Title 14 Part 139.325 Airport Emergency Plan.

The airport security coordinator is responsible under Title 49 Part 1543.307 Incident Management.

 

The TSA’s federal security director also shares responsibility for the management of the incident, and depending on the presence of other agencies, the FBI and the local law enforcement agency may also share responsibility. Law enforcement officers should be well versed in their roles under both of these documents.

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Policing General Aviation
Major tenants – FBO’s

 

 

 

At a GA airport, the major tenants are typically fixed-base operators (FBOs). Except at some of the larger and busiest GA airports, there may not be a fence with access gates around the airport. This makes it difficult to determine which vehicles and personnel are authorized to be on the airfield.

 

Larger GA airports usually have access control systems, air traffic control towers, management, operational, and maintenance staff. Some GA airports cater specifically to agricultural traffic, corporate business jet traffic, aircraft and flight training, or many other types of GA-related flight activity.

 

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Practical Aviation Security – Chapter 12

Textbook Page No. 350

Aviation Policing Strategies

Most GA airports don’t have own police force

Police should look for things out of ordinary

Law enforcement for GA airports is usually provided by the law enforcement agency responsible for the geographic area in which the airport is located. Rarely does a GA airport have its own police officer assigned to it.

 

Police officers should familiarize themselves with the airport property, airport staff, and understand airfield markings, so as to avoid driving on runways or taxiways. Those who patrol a GA airport as part of their area, should look for things out of the ordinary.

 

Student pilots will be found inspecting aircraft where there are flight schools on the airport property. Passengers tend to remain near their aircraft and don’t wander too far. Corporations often own large hangers with their own fuel facility. Small hangars are usually leased or owned by private aircraft owners and pilots. Aircraft charter operations are also common and carry passengers and their baggage.

 

Other critical security points on a GA airfield include the control tower, the airport or FBO fueling facilities, aircraft fuel trucks, onsite aircraft rescue and fire fighting trucks and equipment and, in some cases, high-profile hangar and office areas.

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Reinforcement

    • The US doesn’t have a federal force solely devoted to counterterrorism

 

    • Airport police: handle a wide variety of crime, lookout for and respond to potential violent criminal or terrorist incidents, provide a regulatory enforcement function under ASP

 

    • Title 49 Section 1542 – airport police have a responsibility within the ASP to enforce the rules and regulations at their assigned airport

 

    • At a GA airport, the major tenants are typically fixed-base operators (FBOs)

 

    • Law enforcement for GA airports is usually provided by the law enforcement agency responsible for the geographic area in which the airport is located

 

 

 

 

 

 

Practical Aviation Security – Chapter 12

Textbook Page No. 354

Aviation Policing Strategies

Professional Security Officers

Unarmed security officers

World’s largest organization for security professionals

Many commercial service airports have a contingent of unarmed security officers. Not only security guards but include professional security officers and managers.

 

After 9-11, the aviation security industry was flooded with former federal, state, and local law enforcement officers and retired military officers. This influx was driven by the misperception that the skills of federal agent or police or military officer were directly transferable and immediately applicable to the civilian aviation industry.

 

The American Society for Industrial Security International (ASIS) is the world’s largest organization for security professionals, with more than 36,000 members.

 

ASIS has numerous educational programs to enable its members to stay ahead of threats and understand countermeasures. It provides a comprehensive certification program for security professionals to earn the certified protection professional (CPP) designation.

 

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Aviation Policing Strategies

Educational Programs

American Association of Airport Executives

ASIS has numerous educational programs to enable its members to stay ahead of threats and understand countermeasures. It provides a comprehensive certification program for security professionals to earn the certified protection professional (CPP) designation.

 

This certification should be considered an asset for anyone being hired as an airport or aircraft security manager and something those already working in the field should consider obtaining.

 

Security professionals who already have this skill set should consider obtaining certification in an aviation area, such as the certified member status of the American Association of Airport Executives, which will help the security professional understand the nature of airport operations.

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Aviation Policing Strategies

Unarmed and unsworn private security officer

 

 

An unarmed and unsworn private security officer does not help an airport or aircraft operator meet regulatory requirements for law enforcement coverage, but this individual can free up law enforcement personnel for other patrol and regulatory enforcement duties.

 

A large part of a security officer’s success depends on the ability to observe. Proactive observation includes such skills as recognizing something out of the ordinary. Unusual observations might include vehicles without license plates or a vehicle heavily loaded beyond normal capacity, an access/ID card that is not valid, a door left open, or an unattended bag.

 

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Textbook Page No. 356

Aviation Policing Strategies

Red Teaming

 

Red teaming is used to reveal weaknesses in security programs

Red teaming is used to reveal weaknesses in security programs.

 

Before 9-11, the FAA frequently used red teams to attempt to penetrate airport and airline security systems, and they were frequently successful. Since 9-11, the inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has continued to conduct red team testing. Airports and aircraft operators can also conduct their own red team testing.

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Aviation Policing Strategies

Red team testing can be used to test for penetration of an access control system, such as a door, gate, or security-screening checkpoint

 

Red team testing can be used to test for penetration of an access control system, such as a door, gate, or security-screening checkpoint. It can also be used to determine if a(n):

Screener is spotting prohibited items during a security inspection;

Perimeter breach is detected,

Adversary’s intelligence-gathering attempts are successful.

 

The challenge program called for under Title 49 CFR Part 1542, where the airport security coordinator is required to establish a program that specifically tests whether airport workers are challenging anyone they see in the security identification display area without a proper access/ID, is similar to a red team test in its most basic form.

 

Many Red team testers have an unorthodox knowledge of the security workings of an airport or an airline, beyond that of most criminals or terrorists.

 

Red team testing may be avoided as it can embarrass an administration, or once a threat is identified, an airport or airline operator is often compelled to act on it, requiring funds that may not be available.

 

Failing to identify risks and hazards is a huge liability. Red teams can be used to develop a comprehensive threat matrix, from which intelligent spending decisions can be made. A solid matrix may also be used to argue for additional spending or grant money to fix the largest holes in the security system.

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Reinforcement

    • Many commercial service airports have a contingent of unarmed security officers

 

    • The American Society for Industrial Security International (ASIS) is the world’s largest organization for security professionals

 

    • ASIS has a comprehensive certification program for security professionals to earn the certified protection professional (CPP) designation

 

    • An unarmed and unsworn private security officer does not help an airport or aircraft operator meet regulatory requirements for law enforcement coverage

 

    • Red teaming is used to reveal weaknesses in security programs

 

    • Red team testing can be used to test for penetration of an access control system, such as a door, gate, or security-screening checkpoint

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

 

The nature of aviation security operations must continue to evolve to both meet new threats and to adapt to the unique nature of a transportation system. Airport police must focus not just on crime prevention but also understand basic facility security principles. Aviation security professionals must remember that the purpose of an airport and aircraft is to move people and materials, and that the vast majority of the traveling public, and their associated baggage and cargo, present little to no risk to the system. Airport police officers and security professionals also fulfill an important role as ambassadors to the airport, the city, and the community that relies on the economic benefits of air travel.

 

However, aviation presents different opportunities for crime, such as baggage and cargo theft, and as a transportation system allows for the facilitation of human trafficking and drugs and weapons smuggling. Security professionals must be trained in the indicators and how to interdict these types of activities.

 

A new focus in many areas of the aviation industry is the development of comprehensive risk management and mitigation systems. The identification of risks and the implementation of mitigation and preparation strategies is an important part of aviation security. Security management systems take advantage of the research into this developing field, and when tied into vulnerability assessments, may prevent or mitigate the damage from future attacks.

 

 

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