The Transportation Security Administration unveiled on Friday a new program in which K-9 dogs and officers assess potential threats among passengers at Miami International Airport.
“This is another evolution in aviation security,” said Mark Hatfield, the TSA security director at the airport.
In the initiative, called “Managed Inclusion,” K-9 explosive detection teams work with behavior specialists to do real time threat assessments, the agency said.
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The pilot program at MIA is one of just four at airports in the U.S.
Hatfield said the black Labradors are going to add to what his teams can already do.
“It’s an important new tool. And what we have done by taking the passenger screening K-9s, we've added another level of security that allows us to bring down the potential risk,” he said.
It is overseen by the behavioral detection officers, providing another layer of security as they look for suspicious behavior, Hatfield said.
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One goal is to help get some people through the airport checkpoints more quickly. The TSA said it will look to direct additional passengers to its TSA Pre✓lanes for faster screening.
Managed Inclusion is part of the TSA’s move away from a one size fits all security approach to one that is intelligence-driven and risk-based, it said.
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Photo Credit: NBC 6 South Florida