Courtesy of ABC News in NY. Click on the link for the full report with the video report. A true shame.
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/news/wab...tsecurity.html
Exclusive: Think Airport Security's Improved? This Will Make You Watch Your Belongings Closely!
By Eyewitness News' Cheryl Fiandaca
(New York-WABC, May 6, 2003) — This Eyewitness News exclusive report will make you think twice the next time you pass through an airport security check. Eyewitness News has learned that federally trained screeners are allegedly stealing from passengers, and many of them have criminal records. Cheryl Fiandaca uncovered the story and has more for us.
The whole idea was that they would be better trained, better paid and their backgrounds more thoroughly checked. But it turns out many of the newly hired airport screeners got on the job without a complete background check. Some have turned out to have criminal records, and even been arrested for committing crimes while on the job.
They were hired to improve security in the wake of September 11th, but some may have done exactly the opposite.
Saba Mulazam, Daughter of Airline Passenger: "When she got there the money was missing, only $2,000 was there the other money was missing."
Robina Kausar doesn't speak much English, but her daughter does and both of them know when they've been taken. Last march Kausar filed a police report with the Port Authority accusing a federal Transportation Security Administration screener at Kennedy airport of stealing $6,000 dollars from her when she was on her way to Pakistan. Gus Denese is the president of the Port Authority police union. This story doesn't surprise him,
Gus Danese, PAPD Union President: "You're not in sight of where your wallet is, or pocketbook or bags. If they're good.. they'll do you , they'll do you in a heartbeat."
Here's how the police say the scam often works. While you're going through security and distracted, you're separated from your property and that's when you're vunerable.
Danese: "There's a lot of money to be made with this act."
And apparently plenty of them are making it. So far, law enforcement sources say there have been several arrests of TSA screeners for grand larceny and more than 300 complaints at Kennedy airport alone accusing the new agents of various crimes involving property. Over the past several months the federal employees have been accused of stealing cash, jewelry and computers from passengers at all three local airports. And since the Port Authority started investigating the backgrounds of the new screeners, sources say more than 50 of those already hired and working at JFK Airport have turned out to have criminal records. And that's not all...........
click link for rest of story.