TSA Changes Child Pat-Down Policy

The Transportation Security Administration has changed its policy regarding child pat-downs to prevent airport security screeners from conducting invasive pat-downs on children, the head of TSA said Wednesday, reports USA Today.

TSA Administrator John Pistole announced the change in policy at a Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee hearing.

The policy amendment follows on the heels of the public’s horror over a video illustrating a pat-down of a 6-year-old girl at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.

“As part of our ongoing effort to get smarter about security, Administrator Pistole has made a policy decision to give security officers more options for resolving screening anomalies with young children,” Nicholas Kimball, a TSA spokesman said.

TSA will instruct airport screeners on how to conduct multiple screenings on young children to avoid pat-downs.