Privatize Airport Screeners to Get Bomb-Sniffing Dogs Back on the Scent of Terrorists

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Heritage Foundation:

n the wake of the New York and New Jersey bombings, and coming on the heels of the 15th anniversary of Sept. 11 last month, security measures like bomb-sniffing dogs are getting a lot of attention.

 

Bomb-sniffing dogs are an essential component of security, keeping Americans safe at home and especially as they travel. Yet bomb-sniffing dogs in airports across the United States are failing to pass certification tests, causing serious concern.

 

A recent investigation by NBC News concluded that in 10 major U.S. airports, K-9 teams failed to pass their annual certification testing more than 50 times between January 1, 2013, and June 15, 2013. At Dulles International Airport, the K-9 teams failed an alarmingly high 10 times. These K-9 teams are funded by the Transportation Security Administration.

 

While some failures are to be expected, bomb-sniffing dogs are an important piece of airport security, making these findings very worrisome. Once a K-9 team fails, it is banned from working until the dogs retest and meet the proper certification standards. Still, as reliance on bomb-sniffing dogs increases, so does the expectation that they will exceed the qualifications put in place by the TSA.