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Airport screener let rifle through
By Jim Ritchie
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, June 27, 2003
A federal security manager at Pittsburgh International Airport failed to take a rifle from a passenger who neglected to disclose he had packed the weapon in his checked luggage.
The screener also allowed the passenger to carry the possibly loaded rifle across the ticketing level to an airline counter to have it checked in.
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration acknowledged Thursday the security manager violated policy by failing to immediately call the Allegheny County police, according to Mark Hatfield, a regional spokesman for the federal agency. The airport's luggage-screening equipment had detected the rifle in the passenger's luggage.
"Instead of alerting local law enforcement, the screener removed the gun from the bag and was subsequently counseled and suspended for failing to follow proper procedures," Hatfield said.
Hatfield would not disclose the identity of the female security manager, but said she was suspended for two days after the April 15 incident. The punishment is consistent with discipline handed out in similar incidents nationwide, he said.
An attempt to reach the manager on duty was denied by the agency. "Our work force does not talk to the media," said Christine Keaggy, a spokeswoman for the TSA at Pittsburgh International.
Packing an unloaded firearm in checked luggage is legal. But all airlines require passengers to disclose whether they have weapons in their bags when they arrive at the airport. No firearms are permitted in carry-on bags. US Airways' policy requires a passenger to fill out a form, which is placed next to the weapon in the bag where security officials can find it.
In this instance, the passenger did not tell the airline he had a rifle in his bag. The weapon was discovered by agency screeners when they scanned the luggage using explosive-detection equipment. Hatfield did not know whether the rifle was loaded, or what type of rifle it was.
The security manager was notified when the equipment discovered the weapon. She then asked the passenger to open the bag and saw the rifle.
At that point, she should have guarded the luggage and called the county police, which is the main law enforcement agency at the airport.
Instead, she grabbed the rifle -- and gave it to the passenger and told him to take it to the airline ticket counter, where he could disclose it and fill out the proper form. Hatfield did not know which airline was involved.
At Pittsburgh, it's at least the third security problem in the past six months:
In May, a schizophrenic man from Texas sneaked through the airport's luggage system, stole an airline van and climbed aboard a parked jet. He wasn't discovered until the next morning.
An undercover federal employee walked unnoticed in February through the security checkpoint during a test ordered by TSA officials in Washington, D.C. Screeners involved were suspended for three days, according to screeners union members.
An Oakland man in December duped a security employee who was checking tickets at the Pittsburgh checkpoint by flashing a state constable's badge that was not his. Michael Kobold was caught moments later at a gate by a U.S. Customs inspector and arrested. Kobold, a German national, was indicted by a federal grand jury, and faces five years in prison and/or deportation. The security employee involved is not a federal screener. He works for Huntleigh USA, which US Airways hired to check tickets.
The rifle-carrying passenger, whose identity could not be determined on Thursday, could have been charged with violating the county law that prohibits weapons on airport property.
A Westmoreland County man was not as lucky in January when a screener found a loaded handgun in his suitcase. Marc Roup, of Export, told police he had forgotten that the weapon, a .22-caliber handgun, was in the suitcase.
Roup was charged.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/news/s_141933.html
By Jim Ritchie
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, June 27, 2003
A federal security manager at Pittsburgh International Airport failed to take a rifle from a passenger who neglected to disclose he had packed the weapon in his checked luggage.
The screener also allowed the passenger to carry the possibly loaded rifle across the ticketing level to an airline counter to have it checked in.
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration acknowledged Thursday the security manager violated policy by failing to immediately call the Allegheny County police, according to Mark Hatfield, a regional spokesman for the federal agency. The airport's luggage-screening equipment had detected the rifle in the passenger's luggage.
"Instead of alerting local law enforcement, the screener removed the gun from the bag and was subsequently counseled and suspended for failing to follow proper procedures," Hatfield said.
Hatfield would not disclose the identity of the female security manager, but said she was suspended for two days after the April 15 incident. The punishment is consistent with discipline handed out in similar incidents nationwide, he said.
An attempt to reach the manager on duty was denied by the agency. "Our work force does not talk to the media," said Christine Keaggy, a spokeswoman for the TSA at Pittsburgh International.
Packing an unloaded firearm in checked luggage is legal. But all airlines require passengers to disclose whether they have weapons in their bags when they arrive at the airport. No firearms are permitted in carry-on bags. US Airways' policy requires a passenger to fill out a form, which is placed next to the weapon in the bag where security officials can find it.
In this instance, the passenger did not tell the airline he had a rifle in his bag. The weapon was discovered by agency screeners when they scanned the luggage using explosive-detection equipment. Hatfield did not know whether the rifle was loaded, or what type of rifle it was.
The security manager was notified when the equipment discovered the weapon. She then asked the passenger to open the bag and saw the rifle.
At that point, she should have guarded the luggage and called the county police, which is the main law enforcement agency at the airport.
Instead, she grabbed the rifle -- and gave it to the passenger and told him to take it to the airline ticket counter, where he could disclose it and fill out the proper form. Hatfield did not know which airline was involved.
At Pittsburgh, it's at least the third security problem in the past six months:
In May, a schizophrenic man from Texas sneaked through the airport's luggage system, stole an airline van and climbed aboard a parked jet. He wasn't discovered until the next morning.
An undercover federal employee walked unnoticed in February through the security checkpoint during a test ordered by TSA officials in Washington, D.C. Screeners involved were suspended for three days, according to screeners union members.
An Oakland man in December duped a security employee who was checking tickets at the Pittsburgh checkpoint by flashing a state constable's badge that was not his. Michael Kobold was caught moments later at a gate by a U.S. Customs inspector and arrested. Kobold, a German national, was indicted by a federal grand jury, and faces five years in prison and/or deportation. The security employee involved is not a federal screener. He works for Huntleigh USA, which US Airways hired to check tickets.
The rifle-carrying passenger, whose identity could not be determined on Thursday, could have been charged with violating the county law that prohibits weapons on airport property.
A Westmoreland County man was not as lucky in January when a screener found a loaded handgun in his suitcase. Marc Roup, of Export, told police he had forgotten that the weapon, a .22-caliber handgun, was in the suitcase.
Roup was charged.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/news/s_141933.html
