Paper short abstract:

This paper is about new assemblages of security technology and techniques. Here I focus on abnormal behaviour detection, especially ideas around malintent, the theory that bodies betray the intent to cause harm.

Paper long abstract:

This paper is about the art and science of abnormal behaviour detection in secure zones such as ports of entry. I explore this topic by drawing on fieldwork with the security/counter-terrorism agencies in the UK. I compare my findings to the different approaches adopted in the USA, especially viz the theory of malintent. Malintent, simply put, denotes the intent to cause harm. The 'theory of malintent,' such as it is, holds that individuals who intend to cause harm will display particular behavioural and/or physiological reactions depending on the nature, timing and consequences of the planned event. In 2008 the US Department of Homeland Security reported on the new Future Attribute Screening Technology (FAST). FAST aims to screen individuals in informated and secure spaces such as airports. Alongside the traditional gaze of the security operator, the system uses non-intrusive sensors to capture physiological, nonverbal and paralinguistic cues. For example, sensors will aim to record video, audio, respiration, cardiovascular reactivity, bodily secretions, eye movement, facial features and facial expression, and readings of the skins electrical resistance. In contrast to this technology-reliant approach, in the UK and Ireland abnormal detection is the realm of skilled operators. How do informated zones see persons, and how do detectives see abnormal behaviour?