I'd rather be patted down by a LEO than be patted down by TSA in a private room. And that's given my understanding is that Terry-Stop LEO searches are more intrusive than TSA's opt-out or resolution patdown. And that I'm no fan of LEOs. But they're better trained, more likely to know there are limits to what they can do, unlikely to demand you go to a private room because they know that constitutes a detention, and IMO less likely to cause physical injury than some TSO, LTSO, or STSO.

It would be instructive and possibly more effective if TSA were required to turn *all* resolution-patdown situations over to a LEO. But give the LEO 2 choices. Either arrest the person for carrying WEI illegally, and be prepared to back up those charges in court, or let the person go about their business and proceed into the sterile area. None of this "you don't fly today" BS--the passenger either goes to jail or goes to his flight. TSA's claim of the right to deny passengers entry into the sterile area without arrest gives them way too much power with way too little accountability.