Originally Posted by Sgt. Scott
Many here forget to realize that in reality, when coming through security, if TSA observes something that they believe is illegal, they notify LE (by their policy)
Originally Posted by Phil
Our resident TSA TSO, Dean, says otherwise. He says they only notify law enforcement of some things that they suspect to be illegal, and that they look the other way when they find other things that they suspect to be illegal.
Personally, I'd say both statements are correct. If there
is a policy regarding us notifying something to law enforcement, we do. If not, we don't.
I think Sgt. Scott was just speaking in broad, general terms for the notification of law enforcement to the checkpoint.
It's just speculation since it's never happened here in HSV to my knowledge, but stories about things like stolen credit cards and immigration violators I'd be willing to bet had some kind of base in the TDC procedures — someone trying to pass off a fake ID or something and having LE notified (as a result of that), and then LE discovering later that the person was in possession of stolen credit cards or an immigration violator.
I'm not terribly sure what really happens after law enforcement is notified, as TSA (or at least I am, as a rank-and-file TSO) is quite effectively out of the picture once the LEO takes the situation.