Canadian airport to test ‘behaviour detection’ program

by albertacowpoke | August 14, 2009 at 03:23 am

287 views | 79 Recommendations | 22 comments

As we didn't have enough delays at our Airports already. Beginning next year some air travellers will be scrutinized by "Behavioural Detection Officers".

Some security personnel will soon start studying travellers at Canadian Airports for facial expressions, foot tapping and other nervous behaviour.

The pilot project, which will cost approximately $400,000 is expected to come into effect in 2010. The system is already being used in the U.S., U.K. and Israel.

If the pilot project proves successful, it may come to an airport near you.

Define success.

OTTAWA -- From the furrowed brow to the nervously tapping foot, security personnel will soon start studying air travellers' facial expressions and body movements to see if they could be criminals and terrorists.

Beginning next year, some air travellers will be scrutinized by airport "behaviour detection officers" for physiological signs of hostile intent -- in other words: screening for dangerous people rather than just for dangerous objects.

Planning for the training and deployment of the plainclothes security officers is to begin this fall, with a pilot project expected to roll out at a major airport in 2010, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority said yesterday. The project's budget is about $400,000.

If successful, "behaviour pattern recognition" could land at major airports across the country.

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sara star

at 04:00 on August 14th, 2009

How about those that are nervous because they are scared of flying? Will they be accused of something?

albertacowpoke

at 04:09 on August 14th, 2009

The whole thing is paranoia in my mind. We all know if someone wants to do something they can get around the security. The rest is "feel good" tactics. It is, again, some form of profiling.

MilanSturgis

at 04:55 on August 14th, 2009

Wow... foot tapping in airports Karl? Didn't that land a US Senator in trouble in Minneapolis airport??

albertacowpoke

at 15:43 on August 14th, 2009

It's getting to the point of ridiculous Milan

Barbara McPherson

at 05:53 on August 14th, 2009

This sounds nuts. So we're now going to task the minimum wage security guards with high level body language interpretation? If someone is listening to their I-pod, they'd better be careful -- foot tapping? Come on.

Jordan Yerman

at 08:01 on August 14th, 2009

A few years ago a TSA official in the US claimed that "we know what normal looks like". Problem is, they have no idea what abnormal looks like.

Blue Crush

at 14:16 on August 14th, 2009

I'd be interested in learning how it's worked out for the cities that have already tried it, seems like NY started this 2 years ago.

The T.S.A. has about 600 so-called behavioral detection officers, some of them promoted from the ranks of screeners, who have been trained in law enforcement techniques of sizing up behavior, Mr. Hawley told me. He said the agency expected to double that number in the next fiscal year and probably double it again the following year.

The idea is to enhance security before the checkpoint magnetometer, where the focus is on things like potential weapons more than on people. A well-trained eye and ear — emphasis on the well-trained — can pick up signals a metal detector cannot.

“We started off thinking, What is it we do better than anybody else? What’s the advantage we have? And it’s that we see two million people every day. We know what normal is,” Mr. Hawley said. A good behavioral detection officer has developed the skills to separate normal airport anxieties from fundamental signs of “hostile intent,” he said.

albertacowpoke

at 15:46 on August 14th, 2009

I suspect that this would be hard to detect. It's one thing if you're facing someone one on one at a border crossing. I suspect border guards have some form of training like this, but in a crowd? People are stressed at airports anyways.

albertacowpoke

at 15:44 on August 14th, 2009

Lol Jordan just look at me:)

hidflect

at 08:12 on August 14th, 2009

Wonder if they can detect a sense of quiet desperation enveloped in inadequacies and guilt complexes? Coz I'm in trouble if they can....

Roy C

at 09:09 on August 14th, 2009

Apparently necessary but definitely Orwellian, super Big-Brotherish.

a211423

at 09:27 on August 14th, 2009

Next they might be developing a brochure of "suspicious behaviors" and handing it out to everyone at the airport, so not only will you have detection officers, but an army of people waiting in airports with nothing else to do except look for suspicious characters.

JAMP

at 10:58 on August 14th, 2009

Anytime, people will be forced to take the plane undressed and send personal belongings into boxes, in other flight. Nudists Airlines S.A are coming!!!

Beaulieu

at 11:22 on August 14th, 2009

Why don't they take a graphology test as well. I used to do graphology and you could find 'murderers'. Or perhaps a lie detector?

All these extra delays may been they will do lots of shopping for expensive things at the airport.

Beaulieu

at 11:21 on August 14th, 2009

What about a lie detector as well?

Iffy (not verified)

at 11:59 on August 14th, 2009

Hey, why not skip going to Big Brother and just stop letting in people from the profile countries and cultures we KNOW do the suicide bombing thing. We know, they know, so stop hastling people from cultures who do not do this sort of thing. The sickest thing is they let these people flow around the world, in and out of our countries, get on aircraft and then just leave us to face the consequences. That's evil and lazy.

naidu (not verified)

at 21:15 on August 24th, 2009

Then keep your "people from cultures who do not do these sort of things" out of those countries that practise these sort of otracities. It always seems that these people lived in their "own sick sandbox" until we ventured into their lands and stirred the pot. Leave them to their own miserable lives and they will not bother us. It is the greed element in our societies to plunder the wealth in their countries that is the cause of all this misery that we bring upon ourselves. So, as long our multi national corporations grow fat on other peoples misery; it will follow us here or wherever.

158

at 14:53 on August 14th, 2009

I don't trust this method at all.

albertacowpoke

at 15:48 on August 14th, 2009

Thanks to everyone for commenting. Appreciate it.

elvisjj

at 20:11 on August 14th, 2009

Definitely makes you feel like taking the bus or the train. As I know what your saying here and I'm sick of it.

Like really security at airports has gone too far. There's nothing wrong with having a good security system, but not one that totally makes people feel like criminals and degrades them. I mean taking off your shoes, that's too much.

911 was wrong and 911 should never have happened. But there's no need to turn airports into Big Brother as it just turns you off from wanting too fly.

Babel-Fish

at 04:38 on August 15th, 2009

"Hey sir why are your eyes crossed" lol. It's all a PR job don't worry no one is going to pick you up for looking nervous. This sort of press release is thought to stop people smuggling and thought to aid anti terrorism.

The fact is they criminals, terrorists are normally the ones that look normal as hell and its the guys that are innocent that know about this PR release that look damn nervous.

Why issue such a warning wouldn't it be best kept a secret? It's all a game of mind games to try to prove to the public that security is tight. However there is no such thing as perfect security as someone will always undermine it.