Thursday, January 5, 2012

New Acronym For Your Travel Experience: BDO

Many travelers have become quite familiar with so many acronyms, a crucial necessity to abbreviate all these mundane governmental departments and compartments within the departments. So please welcome the latest addition, courtesy of the TSA, a division of DHS: BDO! What is BDO you might ask? According the the TSA, it stands for Behavior Detection Officer. The TSA website goes on to explain the role of the "BDO": The Behavior Detection Officer (BDO) program utilizes non-intrusive behavior observation and analysis techniques to identify potentially high-risk passengers. BDOs are designed to detect individuals exhibiting behaviors that indicate they may be a threat to aviation and/or transportation security. The program is a derivative of other successful behavioral analysis programs that have been employed by law enforcement and security personnel both in the U.S. and around the world. TSA's BDO-trained security officers are screening travelers for involuntary physical and physiological reactions that people exhibit in response to a fear of being discovered. TSA recognizes that an individual exhibiting some of these behaviors does not automatically mean a person has terrorist or criminal intent. BDOs do, however, help our security officers focus appropriate resources on determining if an individual presents a higher risk or if his/her behavior has a non-threatening origin. Individuals exhibiting specific observable behaviors may be referred for additional screening at the checkpoint to include a handwanding, limited pat down and physical inspection of one's carry-on baggage. Referrals are based on specific observed behaviors only, not on one's appearance, race, ethnicity or religion. BDOs add an element of unpredictability to the security screening process that is easy for passengers to navigate but difficult for terrorists to manipulate. It serves as an important additional layer of security in the airport environment, requires no additional specialized screening equipment, can easily be deployed to other modes of transportation and presents yet one more challenge the terrorists need to overcome in attempt to defeat our security system. BDOs are currently operating at approximately 161 airports nationwide. www.premieretravel.com