Memorandum U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation
Office of Inspector General
Subject: INFORMATION: Notification of Review of Date: January 4, 2002
Proposed Technologies to Improve Aviation
Security (Project Number 02A1001A000)
From: David A. Dobbs Reply to
Attn of: JA-10:X60500
Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Aviation
To: Chris P. Bertram
Assistant Administrator for Financial Services
In response to a request by Congressman Martin Sabo, Ranking Member of the
Subcommittee on Transportation, House Committee on Appropriations, the Office
of Inspector General plans to conduct a review of technologies being proposed to
improve aviation security. The objectives of the review are: (1) to identify and
categorize aviation security technologies available for deployment now and those
needing further research, engineering, and development; and (2) to present
recommendations on which of these technologies offer the best promise for
immediate deployment or development.
We will review technologies within the context of their potential to improve
aviation security in one or more of several environments: the airport, aircraft,
checked baggage, the screening checkpoint, and cargo and mail. Our review will
rely heavily on technical evaluations that have been conducted on specific
technologies by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other credible
organizations, such as the National Academy of Sciences and the National
Laboratories. For technologies that are now commercially available and being
used, we will also rely on assessments made by public and private sector clients
who have experience with the product in an operational environment.
During the course of our review we will discuss aviation security technologies
with the FAA Office of Civil Aviation Security in Washington, D.C.; selected
FAA regional and field offices; the Aviation Security Research and Development
Laboratory in Atlantic City, New Jersey; and the Security Equipment Integrated
2
Product Team in Herndon, Virginia. As FAA responsibilities for civil aviation
security transition to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), we will
coordinate our efforts with the appropriate offices and personnel within TSA.
We will also discuss aviation security technologies with knowledgeable persons at
domestic and foreign airports, domestic and foreign air carrier offices and stations,
the facilities and offices of security equipment manufacturers, and other
Government and private sector stakeholders.
We plan to begin the review the week of January 7, 2002. We will contact your
audit liaison in the Office of Performance Management to arrange an entrance
conference. Our staff in Washington D.C., San Francisco, and Atlanta, will
conduct the review. If you have any questions or need additional information prior
to the entrance conference, please contact Robin K. Hunt, Director for Aviation
Security and Infrastructure, at (415) 744-0420, or Jim Yeager, Aviation Security
Project Manager, at (202) 366-1433.
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cc: Paul E. Busick, ACS-1
Steven Zaidman, ARA-1
Ronald Page, ABU-100
Joseph Buccolo, ACS-10
John Magaw, TSA |
