GAO Issues Report on Domestic Air Cargo Security (Part II - Details of Freight Assessment System)

The GAO found that while the TSA has taken a number of actions intended to strengthen air cargo security, factors exist that may limit the effectiveness of these actions. According to the GAO, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), generally concurred with the GAO's recommendations related to these weaknesses.

This is Part II of a multi-part series of summaries on the GAO's report. Part II focuses on the development TSA's Freight Assessment targeting system. See future issues of ITT for additional summaries of this report.

TSA Developing New "Freight Assessment" Targeting System

Freight Assessment to use Known Shipper, indirect air carrier databases, etc. The GAO explains that the TSA is in the early stages of developing the Freight Assessment targeting system (Freight Assessment), which will use information maintained in the Known Shipper, indirect air carrier, and PARIS databases to target elevated risk cargo for additional scrutiny, including physical inspection through manual searches and the use of nonintrusive inspection technologies. TSA officials believe this system will minimize the reliance on the random physical inspections currently conducted by air carriers. The following are highlights of Freight Assessment's features (partial list):

Air carriers to receive targeting information and conduct inspections. Under Freight Assessment, air carriers would receive targeting information from TSA on specific cargo items identified as posing an elevated risk. Upon notification, carrier personnel would be responsible for conducting the inspection of cargo identified as elevated risk. In this respect, the GAO states that cargo inspection would continue to differ from current passenger and baggage inspection in that it would be performed by the employees of air carriers, rather than by a federal workforce.

TSA and CBP jointly developing, deploying Freight Assessment. According to the GAO, the TSA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have agreed to jointly develop and deploy Freight Assessment and the rules that would be used to identify elevated risk cargo for inspection. TSA officials state that the goal of this interagency coordination is to minimize the cost of the Freight Assessment development by leveraging existing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) capabilities, and reduce the administrative burden on the air cargo industry by not requiring stakeholders to submit the same data to multiple government agencies. The GAO notes that according to TSA and CBP officials, most of the components needed for TSA's Freight Assessment System already exist within CBP.

TSA consulting with air cargo industry to develop overall design. TSA is also working with the air cargo industry to develop the overall design of the Freight Assessment System. These efforts include the Aviation Security Advisory Committee's creation of a working group to advise TSA on the development of Freight Assessment. This working group has made various recommendations, most of which have been accepted and incorporated into the design of Freight Assessment. However, with respect to the working group's suggestion that TSA employees inspect air cargo, TSA states that it does not plan to do so because of costs associated with Federal screeners and because the number of full-time equivalent screeners is capped at 45,000.

Freight Assessment pilot test targeted to begin in early 2006. The TSA is planning to pilot-test Freight Assessment in early 2006 and the GAO notes that two airlines and five indirect air carriers have agreed to participate in the pilot test. TSA states that until the implementation and deployment of the targeting system for cargo transported on passenger carriers in 2006 and 2007, it will rely on the Known Shipper Program and random inspection requirements as the primary means for screening and inspection air cargo.

Highlights of GAO's Concerns With Regard to the Freight Assessment System

The following are highlights of concerns and potential weaknesses the GAO identified with Freight Assessment (partial list):

Freight Assessment data must be complete, accurate, and current. The GAO states that although the TSA has identified data elements that could be used in Freight Assessment, it has not yet ensured that these data are complete, accurate, and current. The GAO notes that there are problems with the information contained in the Known Shipper database and how TSA uses this information to identify shippers who may pose a risk. See Part I of this series of summaries for highlights of the GAO's findings with respect to the Known Shipper program and database.

The GAO notes that it has previously reported on the limitations associated with the information used by CBP in targeting oceangoing cargo. The GAO explains that without complete and accurate information on shipments, it is difficult for CBP's Automated Targeting System (ATS) to accurately assess the risk of shipments and to conduct thorough targeting. The limitations GAO identified with CBP's efforts highlight the need for TSA to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of information it plans to use. (See ITT's Online Archives or 05/12/04 news, 04051215, for BP summary of the GAO's testimony on ATS weaknesses.)

Concerns over using air carrier employees to screen cargo. With regard to having air carrier employees perform cargo inspections under Freight Assessment, the GAO notes that air carrier and indirect air carrier officials have raised concerns about their role in cargo inspection and have questioned the skill level and adequacy of inspection training provided to air carrier employees.

(See ITT's Online Archives or 11/18/05 news, 05111810, for Part I of BP summary of this GAO report, which focused on the Known Shipper program and data base.)

GAO Report (GAO-06-76, dated October 2005) available athttp://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-76