Originally Posted by
We Will Never Forget
On the surface, it would seem like a solution. However, some of the prisoners have a very serious known record, not taking into account the offenses they haven't been charged with. When a prisoner is being transported by commercial airline, it usually means something bad. Local and state jurisdictions won't generally extradite for minor offenses and Federal prisoners could be just about anyone. Many times ground transportation isn't practical due to manpower restrictions or detention regulations. Private and Government aircraft are not very cost effective and it would take an extraordinary case to justify the expense. We're talking the difference between two or three $500 airline tickets vs. several thousand dollars an hour to operate an aircraft. Also, having other armed LEO's aboard is a force multiplier for the FAMS. Don't let the fact that someone is handcuffed fool you into thinking they are harmless. Anyone with the proper training and motivation can defeat handcuffs, all they do is slow them down.
Still doesn't address the issue of this thread (I went off on a tangent, which you are addressing, sorry, trying to drag this back on topic), that some people on board are screened and some aren't.
EVERYONE on board should be screened. If the powers that be determine that some should be armed (and I don't think anyone should be armed, but that is another issue) then let them through screening, but they should still be screened, so that ONLY the authorised armaments are carried on, nothing more.
EVERYONE in the sterile area (even the screeners themselves) should be screened, to ensure the sterile area is, in fact sterile.
As an example, members of the Australian Protective Service (a division of the Australian Federal Police) have to go through screening, they do not have to remove their side-arm, but the rest of the body is screened. (They tend to get wanded, it goes berserk at the waist, due to the sidearm, handcuffs and quick-load ammunition, not to mention the retractable baton). But the fact remains that they are screened. But they are not on board an aircraft.
As I said, in short, EVERYONE should be screened, passenger, burger-flipper, screener, pilot, gate-agent, it is the ONLY way of making sure the sterile area is in deed sterile.
Dave