About a hundred times a day, from anywhere in the world, a phone call comes in that sounds something like this: I think I've got a terrorist suspect here, can you check it out?
Sixty-five percent of the names are confirmed matches, Boyle said.
That's a pretty impressive amount of hits against the database. However:
A recent Justice Department inspector general's report said of 105 watch list records examined in an audit, 38 percent contained errors or inconsistencies; the center operated two versions of its database, but some information was not found in both; and the names of 20 known or suspected terrorists were not made available to all of the nation's frontline screening agents.
Officials defended their record and said the problems are being fixed.
"It is not as though 20 records simply went missing and people could have entered the country," Boyle said. "There are backup and redundant systems that would have allowed many of those persons to have been identified if they did in fact try to get into the country. We now do a daily reconciliation to make sure that every record that comes into the screening center each day is properly listed and exported that same day."
Let me explain something here. No database, especially one that large and complex, is going to be perfect. 38% of mistakes is unacceptable by any stretch, but if it's being corrected, where's the problem? Even databases that run massive websites such as CNN, Ebay, and Amazon have incorrect information in them from time to time.
"We have a dedicated staff who do nothing but work to redress matters," he said.
However, he cautioned, "It is a time consuming and thorough process" that must be followed to make sure wrong names are not removed.
Exactly. You remove the wrong name, or if a sneaky type manages to have his/her name removed, now they can freely get into the country. If that happens watch as everyone jumps down these guys' throats about "why didn't they do more".
Well we ARE doing more and errors are being corrected. So if you have something constructive to add, go for it. If not, let those who know how to correct the errors do their job.
Travis
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