Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the airport, the Transportation Security Administration announced Tuesday that it would begin random screening of airport employees and passengers within airport secure areas nationwide.
In addition, TSA has sent 160 additional screeners, air marshals and other personnel to five airports in Florida and Puerto Rico as a “surge” to screen employees already in secure areas, in response to last week’s arrests of two airport employees who allegedly smuggled firearms from Florida to Puerto Rico, along with two other people who allegedly supplied the guns, and an incident two weeks ago in which an airport employee smuggled a former vice president and his aides into an airport secure area.
“TSA moves in a flexible, nimble fashion to address vulnerabilities with a layered security approach,” TSA head Kip Hawley said in a news release. “Every employee should have a reasonable expectation that they could be screened at any time, at any access point within the footprint of the airport.”
The surge operation began Monday at Orlando International, Tampa International, Miami International, Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International airports in Florida and Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, P.R., TSA said.
At airports nationwide, TSA will randomly screen airport employees doing their jobs in secure areas as well as passengers at departure gates. In addition, TSA will audit access to electronic locks which provide employees access to secure areas, as well as randomly inspect aircraft. No word yet on how much these new measures will delay your flight.
“While there is no intelligence that indicates a specific threat to aviation in Florida or Puerto Rico,” TSA says, “this mobilization illustrates TSA’s ability to quickly and unpredictably deploy assets based on risk.”
After, of course, the “risky” people were already arrested. After all, that’s the way Homeland Security works.
(Hat tip: 27B Stroke 6)
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Scott Lewis
Mar 14, 2007
TSA has also begun randomly screening its front-line screeners. Apparently they cannot be trusted either. Keep in mind that lead screeners, supervisors, TSA managers and all TSA executive staff are specifically exempted from the threat of search.
Mar 14, 2007
BLOGical Thoughts » Wednesday, 14 March, 2007
Harold Adams
Mar 21, 2007
Do prescription drugs in carry have to be in labeled prescription bottles? thank you HAROLD ADAMS
Scott Lewis
Mar 22, 2007
Some states require that prescriptions be kept in their original bottles. The TSA screeners are not pharmacists and have not been trained in drug recognition (legal or illegal). They should not be wasting time examining your pill bottles. In fact, they are not allowed to open pill bottles. When I go on vacation I throw all the meds I will need in one Advil bottle and I’ve never had a problem. You should understand also that the TSA allows you to keep any liquids that you require for a medical reason. This includes both prescription and non-prescription items. Finally, never put your meds in checked baggage. Losing a bag sucks, losing a bag of vital medication can be life-threatening.
Ron Roush
Mar 22, 2007
The alleged “surge” at Orlando referenced in this article only lasted a week – exactly long enough for the local TV stations to get some footage of morbidly obese TSA employees sitting at tables in front of access points. (Hopefully it will be used as file footage for every TSA news story from now on.) The central Florida NBC affiliate, WESH, re-visited OIA a little over a week after the “surge” started and found that it had already ended. Clearly, the security threat was an aberration and passengers should realize that they are once again safe to travel. In addition, I applaud Scott Lewis in post #1 for pointing out that the real threat lies with the front-line screeners, and I agree with him that TSA leads, supervisors, management and staff cannot be effectively vigilant if they are subjected to random searches.
MARIA ALVAREZ COTTO
Nov 06, 2007
GOOD AFTERNOON
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
I’M APPLYING FOR SCREENERS IN PUERTO RICO AIRPORT.
I WORK FOR FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY(FEMA) BUT THIS THURSDAY WE ALL WILL GO THRU RELEASES AND I”M VERY INTERESTED IN OBTAINING THIS POSITION OF SCREENER.
HOPE YOU GUYS CAN HELP.
THANK WILL BE APRECIATED
MARIA ALVAREZ COTTO
Nov 06, 2007
GOOD AFTERNOON
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
I’M APPLYING FORTHE POSITION OF SCREENER AT PUERTO RICO AIRPORT.
I WORK FOR THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY(FEMA) HOW EVER THIS JOB WILL TERMINATE AS OF THURSDAY THE 8 OF NOV 2007 I AM VERY INTERESTED IN OBTAINING THE POSITION OF SCREENER.
PLEASE CONSIDER MY REQUEST I WILL BE DEEPLY GRATEFUL. THANK YOU