Feb 2, 2009 10:50 pm US/Eastern
How Do You 'Spot' A Terrorist At Logan Airport?
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Do you ever feel like you are being watched as you make your way through Logan Airport?
Well, you are. Even if you are not a criminal -- the person next to you could be. Chief Correspondent Joe Shortsleeve says they're called "behavior detection officers" and they're tracking your every move.
It happens before you even arrive at one of the terminals at Logan Airport. Chances are you have been given a careful once-over by someone. Maybe it was the employee at curbside check-in or maybe your cab driver…or how about the bus driver on the airport shuttle.
We asked the driver "what do you look for?"
He responded, "I look for people acting different...talk different...look different... facial expressions different."
Whether you know it or not, they are first layer of security at the airport and they can receive some training.
However, the real scrutiny comes when you step into one of Logan's terminals. There, behavior detection officers-- highly trained by the federal government -- are studying your every move.
Travelers we spoke to say they often feel like they are being watched. "Sure, there is nothing wrong with it. It makes it safer for everybody."
And these detection officers are not necessarily the uniformed guys with high powered weapons and scary dogs. These specially trained security personnel are part of the federal government's "SPOT" program which stand for Screening Passenger Observation Techniques. They are looking for people exhibiting signs of stress, fear, or deception.
George Naccara is in charge of the program at Logan Airport. "They are looking for something out of the ordinary. Something that would indicate there is something going on and we should look into it. It doesn't necessarily indicate a terrorist."
So who are they? The Feds won't say exactly, but clearly there are dozens of them in every terminal. Many are simply the uniformed personnel at security check points. While they don't technically work undercover, they could be performing various jobs at the airport.
So how many cases do you think they found here at Logan Airport cases worthy enough to be referred to the state police for further investigation? Over the past two years it was not hundreds it was thousands.
WBZ has learned in 2007 and 2008 about 5,800 travelers were singled out for suspicious behavior. From that group almost 900 were questioned by the State Police before getting on their plane. And 36 never made their flight. They were arrested.
Most of those arrested were for outstanding warrants in other parts of the country.
The Feds say the SPOT program is a success, and that Logan's program is being repeated around the world. Attorneys for the American Civil Liberty's Union (ACLU) are not so sure. They fear it leads to racial profiling.
John Reinstein is the director of the ACLU's Boston office. "Even under the best of circumstances you are going to find suspicious behavior where you look for it. And the danger is ….that screener is going to look for it depending on the race and ethnicity of the people being screened."
The Feds say race is not a factor, just certain behaviors associated with the fear of being discovered. They say SPOT is a success. In fact, more behavior detection officers will be watching before the year is out.
The Transportation Security Administration says today there are 2,400 behavior detection officers working in 161 airports across the country. But 1,000 more will be hired before the year is out. The Director of the Federal Security program at Logan says if the SPOT program were in the place the morning of 9/11, it's possible those terrorists could have been stopped and questioned.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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