TSA Confiscates Record number of guns

[Trent]

http://www.nbcnews.com/travel/tsa-confiscates-record-number-guns-us-airports-2012-1C7753890

As of Friday, TSA's gun tally sat at 1,527 — 1,295 of which were loaded — and this week’s count will likely bring the final tally just past 1,550 before the year ends.

Once a weapon is found, the TSA’s job ends, David Castelveter, the agency’s director of external communications, told Skift. “We are not an arresting authority. We don’t have detention authority. If somebody comes through with a weapon the immediate procedure is to call the local authority,” he said. “There are some states where they just tell you to take it back to the car; in others you’ll end up at Rikers.”

(Makes one wonder, how many people concealed carried without any incident whatsoever before the TSA was in place...)

 

[Iramo94]

Well, if the 9/11 flights were average, then it must have been less than 1 in 500 or so, because sadly no one there was armed.

 

[ClickClickD'oh]

Well, if the 9/11 flights were average, then it must have been less than 1 in 500 or so, because sadly no one there was armed.

Carrying a firearm onto a plane was prohibited long before 9/11/2001

 

[Iramo94]

My bad. When was the security started?

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

Airport screening in the US started in the 70's.

Makes one wonder, how many people concealed carried without any incident whatsoever before the TSA was in place..

They still screened for guns. There just wasn't centralized reporting as there wasn't a single entity in charge of all screening. Undoubtedly people got past screening then as they do now, but that doesn't mean they just let everyone on with a gun prior to the establishment of the TSA.

 

[Isaac-1]

I have to wonder what percentage of these were in checked luggage

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

I have to wonder what percentage of these were in checked luggage

This statistic seems consistent with those trying to take them through the security checkpoint.

Since you are allowed to take a gun in checked luggage when properly declared, it probably doesn't include those.

 

[sean326]

I remember back in the '80s at Philly airport I forgot about a revolver that I always kept in my briefcase.
They picked it up as I went through security and checked it for me in the little police station at the airport. They had a wall of lockers and locked it in one and gave me a receipt. Seemed like it was a common thing. Probably a bigger deal now.

 

[barnbwt]

We don’t have detention authority.

HAH!

“There are some states where they just tell you to take it back to the car; in others you’ll end up at Rikers.”

Wow, even the TSA is aware of the gross lack of justice present in one of those two scenarios...

Airport screening in the US started in the 70's.

Ironically (or rather, intentionally) to prevent hijackings once and for all, if I have my history right.

have to wonder what percentage of these were in checked luggage

I wonder what percentage of guns made it through the X-ray as opposed to the metal detector

TCB

 

[Deaf Smith]

I wonder what percentage of guns made it through the X-ray as opposed to the metal detector

And I wonder how many people got cancer because they were frequent fliers and went through those x-ray machines often. Just recently the took the x-ray machines away and said, duh, they didn't realize the caused cancer.

Deaf

 

[Onmilo]

When I was in the Military in the late 70s to mid 80s I used to fly on commercial aircraft with weapons in checked baggage.
Never had anything come up missing and never had any problems whatsoever but it was a different time back then...

 

[MachIVshooter]

The only issue with firearms in checked luggage is when the airline loses it

(Yeah, they lost my pistol a couple years ago. After threatening to involve LE, they managed to find it. Don't fly Southwest)

 

[x_wrench]

My bad. When was the security started?
__________________

airport security in one form or another has been in place for a very long time. my aunt was on airport duty back in the 1970's as a sheriff deputy. she did find people with guns, and did arrest people. i think the initial round of search and seizure started because hijacking was getting to be so prevalent. as far as people with guns on aircraft goes. my personal thinking is if it is a flight between 2 states who's ccw is recognized, they should be able to carry their firearm as usual. but if they are headed to a kommy type state, such as Illinois, then their firearm needs to go into their luggage unloaded and locked inside. the amount of problems that would arise from legal ccw carrying citizens is almost non existent. and i can not believe it would be any different in the air. and if the plane was hijacked, at least the people on board would have 1 chance in a hundred or so. rather than zero. should there be a restriction on the ammo they can carry? certainly. they make ammunition specifically for flying, and that should be all that is allowed. no one needs a bullet to pass thru a bad guy, thru the skin of the plane, and take out an engine, or puncture a hydraulic hose, fuel tank, or electrical harness. that would dramatically increase the chances of a fire or crash landing. and with an airliner, we all know what that means. few, if any survivors. of course, same can be said with a terrorist take over of a plane.