Airport Business - 29

PERIMETER SECURITY
commander of the Amtrak Police
Department's K9 Unit, said that on
Amtrak as well as in airports, " a welltrained dog is more capable, useful,
reliable, and effective than [security]
When conducting risk assessments, some
f Trees growing over fencing, enabling
security issues often encounter include the
unlawful access to the airfield
equipment. Dogs do not depreciate like
following:
machinery. If dogs are trained properly,
f Not paying attention to cameras used
f Keys left in fuel trucks
to patrol the airfield. (In the San Jose
and their training is consistent, their skill
incident, video tape showed the 16-yearf No gates or fencing enclosing airfields
level will increase with experience. "
old getting on the airfield and into the
Canines have proven their value in
plane's wheel well).
security for years. However, what can
as security becomes an ever-greater Entry screening alone cannot be effective to
impede their benefit to airport security
concern in airports around the world, we
prevent importation of cases but could be
is that canines are often used on set
can expect they will be used far more
considered as a supplementary response measure
schedules. A sweep is made of one gate
to information strategies at airports.
frequently in the future.
at 9 p.m., an entrance at 11 p.m., then
another at noon. Canine sweeps need to
The problem, according to these
be randomized. Set schedules are easy
COVID and Airport
researchers, is that people may travel with
Security
" mild symptoms, be asymptomatic, preto detect and provide easy openings for
We are in an exceedingly difficult
symptomatic, or are concealing symptoms
potential threats.
that cannot be detected through entry
situation when it comes to COVID and
To further enhance the use of dogs
screening. " However, the researchers
airport security. In this case, the word
for airport security, some airports are
concluded that even with its limitations,
turning to the ARMOR (Assistant " security " takes on the added meaning of
protecting the health and safety of airport
what systems we have in place should be
for Randomized Monitoring Over
personnel as well as travelers.
continued, if for no other reason than to
Routes) project. Based on algorithms
detect those small number of travelers
To address this challenge, many
developed after several years of research,
with the disease that are trying to board
airports have installed supplemental
" the ARMOR project is focused on
airplanes.
hand sanitation stations throughout
developing methods for creating
There are other measures airport
randomized plans for monitoring, their facilities, placed decals on f loors
to encourage social distancing, installed
administrators can take. Among these
inspecting, patrolling and security in
walkway directional signs and where
are the following:
general, " writes Milind Tambe with
possible, installed plastic barriers. * Installing hand sanitation stations
Harvard University, and one of the
No-touch restroom fixtures are now
throughout the facility
developers of the program. Further, it
the norm as are different forms of * Adding f loor decals to enforce social
helps take the " human element " out of
distancing along with walkway
security, replacing it with scientifically- smart technology that help minimize
interactions between airport staff and
directional signs
based technology.
Biometric Entry/Exit Systems: As
travelers.
* Implementing crowd control systems
a result of an executive order, signed by
New technologies are coming online
and finding ways to ensure adequate
President Trump in March 2017, by 2021, to help us quickly detect those that might
physical distancing, especially in those
the top 20 airports in the U.S. are to
have the disease and pose a risk to others.
areas that historically get bottlenecked
For instance, rapid COVID
such as at security points
screen " 100 percent of all international
diagnostic systems that deliver results in * Installing faster and more effective
travelers " including American citizens
carry-on baggage screening devices,
arriving at U.S. airports from overseas. 15 to 30 minutes have been developed at
the University of Oxford. At Heathrow
which speed check-in, minimize
This will be handled primarily by
congestion, and lower false alarm rates
what the U.S. Customs and Border Airport in London, an entire diagnostic
Protection Agency calls biometric entry
facility has been created to screen * Allow for contactless identity checks
and exit systems. More commonly, this
passengers bound for certain parts of the * Eliminating as many physical and verbal
technology is known as facial recognition. world. If the tests prove negative, the
interactions between airport staff and
While used and accepted in airports
passenger can board the flight and may
personnel as possible via advanced
around the globe, it has stirred up some
not be required to quarantine themselves
biometric systems
controversies in the U.S. In some cases, upon arrival at their destination.
* Installing see-thru plastic barriers where
staff and passengers must interact
Not all these measures have proven
it is not always correct, identifying
totally reliable in stopping or significantly * Increase cleaning protocols. This
one face with the wrong person. In
reducing the spread of the disease. A study
includes working with cleaning
other situations, there can be security
published in September found that with
consultants to ensure custodial workers
breaches. Recently, a facial recognition
system exposed the personal information
most current airport screening measures
use cleaning solutions and disinfectants
of 2.5 million people after a database
in place:
properly as well as using technologies
was left unprotected. However, these
Only a small proportion of cases were
such as electrostatic sprayers safely,
technologies are being fine-tuned and
detected at airports during entry screening.
correctly and effectively.

ALL-TOO-COMMON AIRPORT
SECURITY SHORTCOMINGS

DECEMBER 2020 \ AVIATIONPROS.COM / 29
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Airport Business

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