Secondary Security Screening Selection
Secondary Security Screening Selection or Secondary Security Screening Selectee, known by its acronym SSSS, is an airport security measure in the United States which selects passengers for additional inspection.[1] The passengers may be known as Selectee, Automatic Selectee or the Selectee list.[1] The list contains 14,000 names, as of December 2009.[2]
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has insisted no minors are listed on the No-fly list or the Selectee List but was proven wrong by a New Jersey family.[3] It has also been cited by civil liberties group to be infringing on privacy rights and potential for racial and ethnic discrimination.[4]
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Procedure when selected [edit]
Passengers who have been selected for this secondary screening can't print out boarding passes at home nor check in curbside or at kiosks. They must check-in at counters where additional verification is performed by airline staff.[3] The passengers will have the letters SSSS or *S* (all capitals) printed on their boarding passes as a signal for the need for a thorough search at checkpoints.[5]
SSSS passengers will go through a more intensive screening process which may include puffer explosive detectors. Their carry-on luggage may be also be inspected by hand. In the case of film or other items that cannot be X-rayed, the agent may perform a test for possible explosive materials. The screener may also use a hand held metal detector to search the passenger for metal objects.[1]
Selection criteria [edit]
Neither the TSA nor the airlines publish the criteria that are used when boarding passes are issued to identify passengers who will be given extra screening or be denied boarding.
Some criteria are:
- Passengers with a one-way reservation.[6]
- Passengers who pay cash for their tickets.[7]
- Passengers who book reservations the day of their flight.
- Passengers who "no show" a single leg of their flight.[clarification needed]
- Random selection, according to TSA spokeswoman Amy Von Walter in 2004,[5] and as suggested by a 2003 DOI newsletter.[8]
- Flight to specific final destinations.
- Flying without ID
- Having one's name on a list of names supplied by the government to the airlines, according to an airline staff questioned.
Since neither the TSA nor the airline run a background check at the time boarding passes are issued, immigration status and criminal records are not taken into consideration during SSSS. Furthermore, personal information such as a passenger's addresses, employment history, and medical records are not taken into account during SSSS and may not even be available at the time.[citation needed]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ a b c SCREENING MANAGEMENT STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES
- ^ "Father of Terror Suspect Reportedly Warned U.S. About Son". Fox News. 2009-12-26. Retrieved 2009-12-28.
- ^ a b Are These Kids Terrorists?
- ^ ACLU Files Lawsuit Challenging The "No Fly List"
- ^ a b "Associated Press: "Women complain about airport patdowns"". Retrieved 2008-07-27.
- ^ Singel, R: "How to Get Off a Government Watchlist", Wired, April 16, 2007. Accessed January 8, 2008
- ^ Women voice objection to intrusive searches at US airports DailyTimes, December 1, 2004. Accessed January 8, 2008
- ^ U.S. DOI Office of Financial Management
