| The rise in terrorist incidents occurring in the late 1960s and early 1970s, initiated a call for tighter security measures at U.S. airports. In response several deterrent actions were taken such as denying transportation to anyone refusing search of his/her person or baggage, electronic surveillance, behavioral profiling, and a sky marshal program. Initially these actions seemed to have a positive effect with the decline of successful incidents in 1970 and 1971, but then in 1972 there was a surge of incidents that led to a call for more action. Sky marshals were removed from aircraft and placed on duty in airports, funds were allocated for the purchase of electronic detection devices, a presidential directive was issued for 100 percent screening of passengers and mandatory screening of carry-on baggage, and all airports were required to have armed guards at all boarding gates.;The deterrence actions taken in response to the tragic events of September 11, 2001 reflect those established in the 1970s. Following September 11 th, airports across the U.S. were required to have armed guards at terminals, sky marshals were placed on aircraft, stricter screening procedures went into effect, and additional funds were allocated for the purchase of detection devices. It is not clear how effective these measures will be at deterring or detecting terrorist actions but it is evident that the terrorist activity of today does not resemble that of the 1970s. The availability of weapons of mass destruction creates the potential for significant loss of life. There is a need for more sophisticated technology, operating procedures, and intelligence to detect and deter the weapons, bombs, and potential perpetrators trying to board our airliners. This research provides a mathematical tool for modeling the human element of terrorist behavior while incorporating current detection capability and sanctions imposed in response to that behavior. It provides a management tool for allocating resources to those areas that achieve the most deterrence. The focus application will be aviation security, however the intent is to provide a tool that can be used in any area of security or law enforcement. |
