From Holly Doodruff Lyons, those GAO reports I promised:<\/p>\n

1.)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cSystematic Planning Needed to Optimize the Deployment of Checked Baggage Screening Systems<\/span>\u201d, (GAO-05-365<\/a>, March 2005)<\/p>\n

\u201cAccording to TSA\u2019s analysis, in-line EDS would reduce by 78 percent the number of TSA baggage screeners and supervisors required to screen checked baggage at these nine airports, from 6,645 to 1,477 screeners and supervisors<\/em>.\u201d (Page 42).<\/p>\n

2.)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Classified GAO Report<\/span> (April 2005), GAO reviewed the TSA’s own covert screener testing data and concluded that TSA\u2019s data indicated that passenger checkpoint screeners at airports participating in the PP5 Program performed better overall on the tests than checkpoint screeners at the totally Federalized airports.\u00a0 GAO concluded that differences in these test results were statistically significant.<\/p>\n

3.)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cScreener Training and Performance Measurement Strengthened, but More Work Remains<\/span>\u201d, (GAO-05-457<\/a>, May 2005)<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the two-year period reviewed, overall failure rates for covert tests (passenger and checked baggage) conducted at airports using private-sector screeners were somewhat lower than failure rates for the same tests conducted at airports using federal screeners for the airports tested during this period<\/em>.\u201d (Page 34).<\/p>\n

4.)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cAviation Security: TSA\u2019s Cost and Performance Study of Private-Sector Airport Screening<\/span>\u201d, (GAO-09-27R<\/a>, January 2009)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe limitations in the design of TSA\u2019s study comparing the cost and performance of SPP and non-SPP airports were due to several key factors related to the study\u2019s purpose and data availability.\u00a0 For example, TSA officials stated that they did not include some cost elements in the study because they wanted to determine the impact of the SPP on TSA\u2019s budget, rather than to determine the impact to the federal government as a whole.\u00a0 In addition, for its comparison of performance, TSA analyzed measures for which information was most complete, among other things.\u00a0 Because of these limitations, we [GAO] believe that TSA should not use the study as sole support for major policy decisions regarding the SPP.\u201d<\/em>
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