Behavioral Indicators Are Important. Proper Training is Vital.

The TSA’s Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques (SPOT), has been problematic from the program’s inception in 2007. Reports surfaced which indicated there was a lack of science supporting the program’s efficacy and that similar hit rates could be achieved “if they flipped a coin.”

“Behavior detection, which is just one element of the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) efforts to mitigate threats against the traveling public, is vital to TSA’s layered approach to deter, detect and disrupt individuals who pose a threat to aviation.”

Protocols Used by TSA’s SPOT Program.

While the SPOT program remains difficult to measure – the intentions of the program are worthwhile – looking for possible suspicious behaviors which could indicate malicious intent. Where the program fails is in its nuanced approach to interpreting the behaviors being seen by security officials, and the lack of proper training for the specifically trained officers, known as Behavior Detection Officers.

 HOW IS SDR DIFFERENT?

SDR^®’s methodology is based on the idea of prevention – that taking a proactive approach can prevent crimes or terrorist actions before an event occurs. SDR teaches that there is no specific mold into which every criminal actor or deviant event will fit, therefore profiling with biases and/or for a narrow scope of suspects will inevitably miss illicit activities and target false positives. SDR negates ethnic profiling in security practices with unique SDR auto-critique tools. Furthermore, the SDR training is based upon SDR communication tools which allow for ease of communication between units, organizations, cultures, and countries. The tools acknowledge and give space for any behavior in a given environment, from normal to abnormal, to everything in between.

SDR^® gives security training to security personnel and beyond, in a manner which allows for nuanced protocols and tailor-made programming depending on a given environment during a specific time. Environments fluctuate depending on time of day, cultural norms, and legal guidelines of the community, and the security protocols and detection systems should reflect these details. SDR equips trainees with the necessary tools to better read their environments and understand their surroundings, leading to knowledge-based decisions, rather than a flagged checklist of “abnormal behaviors,” which force officers to find a suspect.