WASHINGTON—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is pleased to announce a formal partnership with Travel Sentry, Inc. under the Donations Acceptance Program. Through this partnership, Travel Sentry, Inc. will provide Travel Sentry Passkey sets and instructions on the use of the passkeys to CBP officers at Ports of Entry (POE) nationwide at no cost to the government. These tools are designed to permit CBP officers to open and re-lock Travel Sentry compatible luggage locks during routine inspections.
“CBP is pleased to announce a partnership with Travel Sentry, Inc. This partnership will enhance efficiency for baggage inspections, contributing to CBP’s vision of enhancing the nation’s security through innovation, intelligence, collaboration, and trust,” said Diane J. Sabatino, Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations.
By utilizing Travel Sentry Passkeys, CBP expects to further streamline processing and decrease wait times for baggage inspections. Overall traveler satisfaction is also expected to increase by avoiding broken luggage locks and costly replacement.
“Travel Sentry exists to solve problems for the benefit of the traveling public. We are experienced airline professionals who know that luggage can and should be locked for your protection. We also know that CBP officers must sometimes open luggage to comply with legal requirements,” said John Vermilye, Chairman and Founder of Travel Sentry, Inc. “We are proud of the support we have provided to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for over 20 years for the Transportation Security Administration and equally proud to now provide the same support to U.S. Customs and Border Protection."
This initiative highlights a collaborative effort to address inspection challenges. With over one billion Travel Sentry locks in circulation worldwide, the availability of the Travel Sentry Passkey sets will ultimately better place CBP to carry out the mission to foster security and safeguard our nation, as well as benefit the traveling public.
Public-private partnerships are a key component of CBP’s Resource Optimization Strategy and allow CBP to provide new or expanded services and infrastructure at domestic ports of entry. For more information, visit www.CBP.gov/DAP.