Officials Call on TSA to Increase Screenings of Airline & Airport Employees
Mary Minor Davis January 09, 2015
Following a recent case of gun running using passenger jets, New York lawmakers want TSA to increase screenings for those with airport access at all levels.
In the wake of a recent investigation that found airline employees embroiled in gun smuggling activities on aircraft between Atlanta and New York, Sen. Charles Schumer has called for daily federal screenings of all airline workers.
Currently, pilots and flight crews, as well as passengers, pass through the same TSA metal detectors, but according to an AP report, many airport employees with access to the secured areas of airports are exempt from doing this.
“In this day and age of terrorism, rampant drug dealing and gun smuggling, we just can’t be too careful,” said Schumer.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says that Secretary Jeh Johnson shares Schumer’s concerns. Johnson visited with TSA and airport officials in Atlanta on Thursday, and DHS spokeswoman told AP that the trip was intended “to help assess potential vulnerabilities related to site security at airports nationwide behind the sterile area.”
Schumer emphasized the TSA has the authority to do additional screening now at a cost that would add “pennies” to the cost of an airline ticket.
“The ease by which airport employees are able to smuggle weapons and other contraband onto our commercial airliners in troubling and Warrants immediate scrutiny and inspection,” stated Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson. He added that investigation found “gaping holes in our nation’s security.”
TSA has said that screening all airport employees would be too complex to do because many employees go back and forth between secure and unsecure locations.
[Photo: iStock]
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Too much to check airport employees? In Germany all airport staff (except federal police and customs) have to go through special staff security checkpoints and it's just a no-brainer.
This is the only true security threat, those that don't have to go through any security screening. Yes there is a lot of security theater with the screening methods used on those being screened but there should at least be some sort of screening for everyone even if just bag x-ray and a metal detector. The security fee has already increased. No need to increase it any more. The government just needs to use these funds for TSA purposes and not for whatever non travel related purpose they allowing TSA to collect them for.
More security theater.
This is really a money grab. Chertoff and company are trying to take advantage of a known security weakness (dating back to when Chertoff was in charge of TSA and denied the weakness he now wants to exploit for his gain). It will take too much time? We have been assured that NoS's and the entire checkpoint process take very little time if the traveller is prepared. Airport employees and TSOs will not be waiting in line or carrying baggage through, so even if they transit multiple times a day, the time loss will not be significant. Some workers may wish to find ways to streamline their daily in-and-out activities, but think of the lengths smokers have to go to these days to reach a place to light up during the work day - it can be done. Surely it's a small price to pay to keep us safe?
The author is apparently not familiar with Known Crew Member. Pilots and flight attendants, and their luggage, go through no security of any kind before entering the sterile area of an airport in the U.S.