LA Airport Police Back Effort To Ban Badges For Non-Sworn TSA Screeners
Jul 17, 2015, 10:53 pm
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LA Airport Police Back Effort To Ban Badges For Non-Sworn TSA Screeners
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Union officials for police at Los Angeles International Airport gave its support Friday for new legislation that would ban the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) from allowing non-law enforcement personnel to wear metal badges.
The Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers’ Association (LAAPOA) issued the statement commending language in a Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill currently under consideration by lawmakers in Washington, which includes an amendment that prohibits funding for TSA uniforms that include badges that resemble law enforcement badges.
The Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers’ Association (LAAPOA) issued the statement commending language in a Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill currently under consideration by lawmakers in Washington, which includes an amendment that prohibits funding for TSA uniforms that include badges that resemble law enforcement badges.
Will be interesting where this goes.
Jul 18, 2015, 6:37 am
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TSA's morale problem is not caused by their outfits.
Jul 18, 2015, 8:52 am
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Jul 18, 2015, 9:41 am
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LA Airport Police Back Effort To Ban Badges For Non-Sworn TSA Screeners
Doing away with the tin badges will be useless if the clerks are allowed to wear embroidered badges. They have to get rid of any part of their costumes that make them look like cops.
Jul 18, 2015, 10:58 am
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Jul 18, 2015, 8:52 pm
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The Boy Scouts have cloth "badges" yet no one comes close to thinking of them as law enforcement. I don't know of any police department that uses cloth badges in lieu of a metal badge somewhere.
Jul 18, 2015, 8:58 pm
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Embroidered cloth uniform badges are consistent with private security: mall, apartments, business park, etc. People paid to watch out but have to call actual law enforcement if they see anything amiss.
That is right about where I would put TSA screeners.
That is right about where I would put TSA screeners.
Jul 19, 2015, 9:27 am
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In a chaotic situation, people tend to associate a tin badge with authority and training.
An embroidered badge? That includes janitors, Fedex workers, Burger King employees....all helpful in their own way, but not the folks you look to in an emergency situation.
That said, a pinned-on plastic name tag with "TSA + employee name/ID number" should suffice. In fact, it would be great to have TSOs required to wear a tag with a visible name or ID # - not something they can flip over as they routinely do when asked for their names.
Not that they have anything they'd want to hide, of course...
An innocent man was shot and killed in OK by an old rich man playing at being a cop with the real guys. We don't need TSOs who struggle (and fail miserably, by their own tests) to perform their mission - ensuring that no contraband enters the sterile area - we don't need those people who fail at the job they are currently tasked with taking on new responsibilities and running around playing cop-wannabe in a crisis situation.
Airport cops don't stick their hands down pax pants and TSOs shouldn't be playing LE - even if that just means 'dress-up' and identifying themselves as 'federal officers'.
Jul 21, 2015, 1:38 pm
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FWIW, in the State of New York and New Jersey (and possibly others), only actual law enforcement officers are allowed to wear "normal" badges. Private security are required to wear square badges. Lots of states have restrictions on badge appearance/markings, etc...
Jul 21, 2015, 1:55 pm
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When did the law ever matter to TSA?
Jul 21, 2015, 1:58 pm
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I'm not sure I agree.
In a chaotic situation, people tend to associate a tin badge with authority and training.
An embroidered badge? That includes janitors, Fedex workers, Burger King employees....all helpful in their own way, but not the folks you look to in an emergency situation.
That said, a pinned-on plastic name tag with "TSA + employee name/ID number" should suffice. In fact, it would be great to have TSOs required to wear a tag with a visible name or ID # - not something they can flip over as they routinely do when asked for their names.
Not that they have anything they'd want to hide, of course...
In a chaotic situation, people tend to associate a tin badge with authority and training.
An embroidered badge? That includes janitors, Fedex workers, Burger King employees....all helpful in their own way, but not the folks you look to in an emergency situation.
That said, a pinned-on plastic name tag with "TSA + employee name/ID number" should suffice. In fact, it would be great to have TSOs required to wear a tag with a visible name or ID # - not something they can flip over as they routinely do when asked for their names.
Not that they have anything they'd want to hide, of course...
Jul 21, 2015, 8:39 pm
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A pin? A PIN?!?!? Do you know how dangerous a pin is in the wrong hands? The pins on some name badges are more than 2" long! What if someone stole the name tag and that pin got onto an aircraft?
Jul 21, 2015, 10:33 pm
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