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    TSA official defends TWIC deployment

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    A Transportation Security Administration senior official has strongly defended the agency's rollout of the Transportation Workers Identification Credential following a critical report from a federal advisory panel.

    "We are operating at full capacity and have enrolled more than 450,000 people," said Maurine Fanguy, the TWIC program'/s director. "I am very happy about it."

    Fanguy was responding to a report from the National Maritime Security Advisory Committee's TWIC Working Group that recently outlined more than a dozen problems with the TWIC program, including performance shortcomings, technical glitches and poor communication.

    "Unresolved problems...help to foster the sentiment among stakeholders that the TWIC program is broken," the 17-page advisory report states. The working group called on the Coast Guard and TSA to address the issues to lift enrollment and sustain cooperation.

    TWIC is a biometric identification card being produced for 750,000 maritime workers. Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor under a $70 million contract. Enforcement of the card will start in April 2009.

    The working group's report said cards are not being delivered within 30 days as promised, but Fanguy disputed that, saying most cards are being delivered within two weeks.

    The group also said fingerprinting failures are occurring in some of the attempted enrollments, estimating a range from 3.7 percent to 8 percent. Fanguy disagreed, saying that 98.5 percent of enrollees encounter no problems with fingerprinting.

    The report also detailed complaints with incorrect information on the cards, long waits at enrollment centers and poor communication. Fanguy said those concerns were outdated.

    A biometric expert noted that large-scale biometric deployments typically have a few rough spots.

    "In the case of TWIC, we don't see any reason why these issues cannot be worked out and resolved," said Peter Cheesman, marketing manager for International Biometric Group consulting firm.

    About the Author

    Alice Lipowicz is a staff writer for Federal Computer Week.

    Reader comments

    Mon, Sep 14, 2009 Grady planetzulu@rocketmail.com

    Is there a class action law suit against tsa,if there is, count me in because my life has been turned up side down. I lost 75percent of my savings when the economy crashed and just when I thought I made it, my twic card never came, lost my job and now I'm broke. I let my health care go. Can't afford it .A double wammy. I went from making 8000 a month to nothing. These people need to be stopped.

    Sat, Aug 22, 2009 todd mississippi

    I applied for twic card on april 7 2009, two months later i get a determination letter saying that a arrest i was involved in didnt have disposition in the fbi background so tsa gave me a initial disqualification letter. I go to the court house to get the disposition and they tell me that they charge money for dispositions , well thats why the fbi didn't get it, my local law enforcement likes to make money, so now i have to pay for this disposition and send it to tsa along with a appeal letter, now personally i shouldn't have done what i did to get arrested and i don't blame tsa for following their rules, but maybe they should be and option when you enroll to pay extra for disposition fees that your local court systems require before release of disposition, that way if you know you where arrested but the outcome will not effect your getting a twic, you would have already paid tsa to get the infomation from the courthouse. Well, 5 months later i have my twic card, and glad to get it, next time i will think twice before screwing up.

    Fri, Jul 10, 2009 BENNY VALDEZ TEXAS

    I AM A ONE LEGGED RIGGER WHO WORKS HARD TO SUPPORT MY WIFE AND KIDS. I AM 31 YEARS OLD WHO WORKS HARD THEN RATHER THEN COLLECT DISABILITY. I APPLYED FOR THE TWIC CARD ON MARCH 7,2009. I WAS SENT A LETTER ON APRIL SECOND OR THIRD STATING THAT I MAY HAVE A DISQUALIFING OFFENSE WHICH WAS THEORISTIC THREAT. I WAS FOUND GUILTY ON A CLASS B MISDEAMOR WHICH WAS GIVEN 12 MONTHS PROBATION AND 24 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE AT A LOCAL GOODWILL STORE. IN THAT LETTER IT STATED IT CAN TAKE UP TO 60 DAYS TO HAVE A DECISION MADE. I SENT SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS FROM COURTHOUSE STATING IT WAS A MISDEAMENOR AND NOT A FELONY. I WAITED PATIENCENLY FOR 60 DAYS. NOTHING.I CALLED THE HELPDESK LINE AND WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT 60 DAYS THAT IT WAS 60 BUSINESS DAYS. OKAY I WAITED 60 BUSINESS DAYS AND NOTHING. NO EMAILS OR LETTER FROM TSA. I CALLED BACK AND THEN WAS TOLD IT CAN TAKE 30 TO 90 DAYS WHICH COMPREHENDS THE 60 DAY POLICY RULE THEY HAVE ON TWIC CARD RULES. NOW IT IS JULY 10, 2009 WHICH IS PAST FOUR MONTHS WAITING ON THE TWIC CARD. MEAN WHILE I AM HERE WITH MY WIFE AND KIDS JOBSLESS CAN'T GO WORK BECAUSE OF THE TWIC CARD.FOUR MONTHS BEHIND ON THE MORTGAGE. TRYING TO PAY A 400 DOLLAR LIGHT BILL A MONTH TO HAVE LIGHT FOR MY CHILDREN. WHAT PISSES ME OFF THE MOST IS THAT I HAVE TWO SETS OF TWINS 7 AND 5 YEARS OLD AND A TWO YEAR OLD WHICH EVERYTIME I GO TO THE STORE I HAVE TO TELL THEM NO I CAN'T BUY THEM THINGS BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD IT OR HAVE EXTRA MONEY TO BUY IT.THAT IS WHAT HURTS THE MOST.THE HELP DESK IS A ANSWERING SERVICE ONLY. TSA SHOULD HAVE CASE WORKERS WHO CAN ACTUALLY TALK TO YOU ABOUT YOUR CASE TO HAVE IT RESOLVED IN A TIMELY MANNER. FOUR MONTHS IS WAY TO LONG TO RECIEVE THE TWIC CARD.I MEAN YOU CAN GET A PASSPORT IN SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS REGARDLESS. I AIN'T TRYING TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY. ALL I AM TRYING TO DO IS WORK TO SUPPORT MY FAMILY.I AM A DIABLED USA CITIZEN CHOOSING TO WORK AND NOT RELY ON THE GOVERMENT TO SUPPORT MY FAMILY.

    Mon, Apr 20, 2009 nj pipefitter new jersey

    NJ pipefitter applied for the twic card back on sept 3, 2008, was denied october 2008, filled out a waiver application sent that in on nov 14, 2008. On the waiver paper work that twic sent me it states that it could take up to 60 days for them to make a final decession, which should have been around about Jan 14, 2009, it is now April 20, 2009, and still no answer. Every time I call the twic help desk they tell me that twic is back logged, Oh, and sorry for the inconvience Thank you. The biggest problem I have (besides not being able to work and feed my family) is the time line in which TSA TWIC give you to comply with compliance dates. If they can not in a thier own stated time line (60 days) keep up with amount of waiver, and appeals appilications Why don't they then move back the compliance dates so that these skilled people that have been working in these places for years can keep supporting thier families. Oh and maybe this Lockheed Martin which was subcontracted by TSA to handle the this whole TWIC operation for $70 million dollars should have the contract pulled out from under them and givin to a company that could better handle this. I don't know that was just a thought, but what I do know is that if I was givin a job to do and I didnt complete it in the time line stated I would have been fired.

    Sat, Apr 4, 2009 trucker1 new jersey

    I am a nj truck driver and applied for my TWIC on January 30th,2009. I went to call to see what the status was for my TWIC and now they do not see me in the system. Do they know that this is people bread and butter and how they support their families. I am now wondering if i have to enroll all over again. i wonder do President Obama include people not being able to work because of the computer glitches for the twic for his numbers of people now being unemployed because of this.

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