Airport deploys new high-tech identification scanners DALLAS (AP) =97 New scanning devices have been deployed to validate the=20 identities of current and future workers at Dallas-Fort Worth International= =20 Airport, officials said Monday. But it is unclear if the machines, made by= =20 Imaging Automation of Bedford, N.H., would have prevented the hiring of 63= =20 workers who were arrested last month for allegedly using false Social=20 Security numbers to gain access to secure areas of the airport. The=20 $10,000 toaster-size devices, which DFW has been testing since October,=20 check the authenticity of documents like drivers licenses in about four=20 seconds. However, the airport still has no way to automatically check the= =20 validity of Social Security numbers, airport spokesman Jim Crites=20 said. The Immigration and Naturalization Service does not routinely verify= =20 the Social Security number of each new employee, spokesman Lynn Ligon said. However, the INS can do inspections of employers and verify employees'=20 Social Security numbers, Ligon said. The arrests included baggage=20 handlers, ramp and cargo agents and food service and maintenance workers=20 who worked at the airport in November. Officials would not identify the=20 employers of the arrested workers, but they were required to have security= =20 badges issued by the airport. They were arrested after a review of their=20 applications for airport security badges turned up the false numbers,=20 assistant U.S. Attorney Tammy Reno said. While the devices could not have= =20 prevented the workers from getting security badges, the airport hopes the=20 technology will add a new layer of protection by weeding out prospective=20 workers who use counterfeit documents or deterring them from applying for=20 jobs in the first place. "These machines aren't the end-all but they=20 certainly help us as an airport," Crites said. The scanners can check IDs, photos and text against government terrorist=20 and criminal watch lists. But the airport is not using the feature because= =20 it already sends fingerprints of prospective employees to the FBI to make=20 such checks before granting a security badge, Crites said. DFW is the=20 second U.S. airport to deploy the technology, called iA-thenticate. Canada,= =20 Sweden, Hungary and Finland also use the technology, company officials=20 said. Boston's Logan International Airport =97 the departure airport for= the=20 two jets that were hijacked and flown into the World Trade Center =97 has=20 been using the technology to screen employees since September. It followed= =20 a five-month trial on more than 225,000 passengers in the airport's=20 international terminal. Rick Carter, director of homeland security for=20 Imaging Automation, said they are in talks with the Transportation Security= =20 Administration about expanding the devices to include passenger=20 screening. The machines already have proven a success at Logan. Officials= =20 there declined to provide specifics but said the machines already have=20 caught applicants trying to get jobs with false documents. The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site: Roj (Roger James) *************************************************** escape email mailto:ejames@escape.ca Trinbago site: http://www.tntisland.com CBC Website http://www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ The Trinbago Site of the Week: (TnT News) http://www.tntmirror.com/ (TnT News) courtesy of Roj Trinbago Website & TnT Web Directory Roj's Trinbago Website: http://www.tntisland.com TnT Web Directory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************