Vice Views

Update on the Blue Ribbon Task Force Activities

So here we are at the start of June.  ˝ of the year is gone already.  It has been a very busy year so far and I am pleased at the results from the Chapter so far.  Meeting attendance is up over the last few years.  More people are getting involved and there have been some new faces express interest in contributing.  Great stuff for the Chapter and I think it is showing in some of the events that have been conducted, such as Law Enforcement Appreciation and the May Seminar.  Our monthly meetings have been valuable and attendance is up there as well.  I want to thank everyone right up front for helping make this a good (not great yet, but good)! year.  The next few months will see even more great events, with the golf tournament at a new and improved venue (also with new and improved features too, such as a putting contest lunch AND dinner, and free drinks.  The Security Officer Appreciation event should also bring a full house.  Don’t forget to check the events section on the website for all of the details, and make your reservations early! 

I wanted to take time out this month to talk briefly about the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Aviation Security and Technology and to update you on what has (or has not) been happening.

A group of individuals from the SFBA Chapter volunteered their time to come together back on May 2nd, at my request, to draft a proposal that we then presented to the San Jose Blue Ribbon Task Force on Aviation Security and Technology on May 10th.  All in all, there were over twenty participants, none of whom were solicited, but all volunteered their time because they, as I, saw real value that our Chapter could bring to the table with regard to the mission of the task force.  We also recognized the one thing missing from this exercise – security people.  Plus, many of us, since September 11th, have been looking for ways we can contribute to the country, our communities and to this whole issue about a war on terrorism.  Certainly, as security professionals, we KNOW we can add value.

So, here it was May 2 and we had to have something to present the Task Force on May 10th.  The original date was scheduled to be May 31st, but the week before, we were notified that the date had to be changed to the 10th because of a logistics problem relative to the application forms that presenters had to fill out, which did not go out until late.  This really put the pressure on, knowing that we only had eight days to figure out what we would be presenting.

This group of almost twenty five people came together in person, and on the telephone to meet and craft our proposal.  It took ONLY TWO HOURS to come up with the framework for what we wanted to propose.  I was so impressed with how these people, who never had worked as a group prior to this meeting, got into a room and hammered out our position.  Everyone brought to the table a little different level of experience and all contributed.  Before I go on with my long-winded assessment, I want to take the time to thank all of them for their efforts.

The following week, after assignments by several individuals to draft and review the presentation, we came together on a conference call on Tuesday the 7th of May to finalize and gain agreement from all, which we did in a very short period of time.  Some of the feedback I received from the participants included things like “these are the kinds of activities the Chapter should be involved with” and “we should do more of this kind of things, rather than have only monthly meetings and events.”  I totally agree, and will look for other things to get involved in, from a Chapter point of view.  I also encourage the membership to bring similar types of issues to the attention of the Chapter leadership.  Again, this organization can add real value to the Homeland Security effort, but we will not unless we go out and get involved.

Mr. Jim Cawood CPP, Connie Vaughn and myself attended the Task Force Public hearing on the 10th.  Mr. Cawood CPP delivered the presentation, which was excellently done and the panel was focused on what he was saying.  In addition, both Mayor Gonzalez and Congressman Honda arrived into the meeting room just prior to Mr. Cawood’s remarks.

We also got the attention of ASIS National.  In fact, in a letter received from Jack Lichtenstein, Director of the Public Liaison Committee, he stated, “What you are doing out there is exactly the type of thing that ASIS chapters need to do in order to heighten the involvement and recognition of the security profession in every part of the country.

Right now, for example, we have some of our chapters working with the White House to set up a series of Town Hall meetings in Denver, Portland (Oregon), Atlanta, and Chicago on the nation's information security strategy.  Our New Jersey chapters are working in their state to develop a model homeland security program for the country.  Those are a few cases. 

Please keep me informed of your program out there.  There may be results from it that can be used nationally.  Also, if there is anything that you, or Congressman Honda's office, or the others involved in your program need from ASIS international headquarters here, they should call me.”

Unfortunately, since making our proposal to the Task Force, we have NOTHING from them, not even a thanks for participating.  If you remember my April newsletter article, I had expressed doubts about the real motivation for doing this Task Force.  I said then, and I really still believe, that the efforts of this task force were designed ONLY with the idea in mind to bring some of the funds from the Transportation Security Act to the Silicon Valley.  I do not believe that this Task Force’s activities will result in ANY significant improvement in Aviation Security.  Even the Task Force Chairman, Mr. Bill Thompson of Symantec, stated the money issue in his opening remarks at the hearing we attended, though he neglected to mention that Security would not be improved for our traveling public as a result.  (He never said that it would be either).

Here are some other facts from the activities of the Task Force:

  • All of their meetings, except the public hearing we attended, and the technology presentations, were closed to the public.  No information on their hearings and meetings will be distributed to the public, expect for the recommendations which they will be submitting to the Transportation Secretary.  We will not have any idea or input into their recommendations.

  • The feedback from some of the technology companies I have spoken with, who applied to demonstrate existing and emerging technologies, reported that out of almost 40 companies who applied to make presentations, less that 15 were actually invited to participate.  No explanation was provided to firms that were not invited.

  • NO security person was present on the panel when the public hearing was conducted.  In fact the ONLY Security person on the panel, the Managing Director of Security for American Airlines, was not even at the hearing.

Sometimes it is really frustrating to see how these politically motivated projects are conducted.  I will be writing personal letters to Mayor Ron Gonzalez in San Jose, and Congressman Honda, to express my thoughts and frustration with their task force directly to them.  I encourage you to do the same, if you feel the same way.

Then we should go right back out and find some other ways to contribute.

Talk to you next month.  In the meantime, comments are encouraged.  Please direct them to me at vicechair@sfasis.org. To view the text of our presentation, and some of the other details of the task force, please also visit the special section on the web page dedicated to the Task Force and our activities.

Brad Minnis CPP
Vice Chair SFBA Chapter