MIA Teaches Behavior Pattern Recognition
Only Airport In Country To Provide Training To Employees
POSTED: Monday, September 10, 2007
UPDATED: 1:28 pm EDT September 10,
2007
MIAMI -- Miami International Airport is offering airport employees a special security training session in behavior pattern recognition on the eve of the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The special session is meant to teach employees how to identify suspicious behavior.
MIA is the only airport in the country offering behavior pattern recognition training to all of its civilian employees. MIA has trained more than 2,300 employees since beginning the training Sept. 11, 2006.
Behavior pattern recognition focuses on suspicious behavior and not racial or ethnic profiles. The methodology was first introduced in the U.S. by Rafi Ron, president of New Age Security Solutions, and former security director for Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv.
At a random security checkpoint outside MIA on Monday, Miami-Dade police stopped one man who they said had false identification and another man who they said had an outstanding warrant.
"We're not looking for any specific type of vehicle or any specific type of person," Miami-Dade police Lt. Miguel Palacios said. "There's certain behaviors and certain things that we do look for."
MIA has a category X rating, which is reserved for airports with the highest risk level, Local 10 reported.
"We operate on a level orange every day," Miami-Dade Aviation Department spokeswoman Lauren Stover said. "We come to work every day and put our lives at risk."
The employee vigilance has already led to three arrests, Local 10 reported.
"A lot of times when we're out there asking if you need assistance, not only are we helping you, we're assessing you, as well," Stover said.
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