Airport Boosts Security After Gun Arrests

(CBS/AP)  Orlando International Airport will begin screening all employees who enter secure areas after baggage handlers were accused of smuggling guns aboard a commercial airliner last week.

The change follows lengthy meetings involving airport officials, the Transportation Security Administration and U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown.

"This is the No. 1 tourist destination in the world," Brown told the Orlando Sentinel for a story Tuesday. "I want full confidence in the system."

TSA officials on Tuesday were also expected to announce a "security surge" at Orlando and three other Florida international airports.

More than 160 security officers, aviation inspectors, federal air marshals and others were to be dispatched to Orlando, Tampa, Miami and Fort Lauderdale. A fifth airport, the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was also included in the safety plan.

TSA officials said it was a first step, but aviation security analyst Charles Slepian tells CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian "it's barely a Band-Aid on a bigger problem."

"When we highlight the fact that you can smuggle guns, we're also saying you can smuggle bombs, you can smuggle chemical weapons. If we don't search people in the backs of airports, we are totally exposed," Slepian tells CBS News.

The agency was criticized last week after law enforcement officials made four arrests in connection with a drug-smuggling ring that bypassed Orlando airport security to send guns and drugs to Puerto Rico.

Back in January, with hidden cameras, CBS News revealed a gaping hole in airport security, how unlike passengers, pilots and flight attendants, some 700,000 airport workers with ID badges are allowed to completely bypass airport screening areas at virtually all our nation's 452 commercial airlines.

Airline pilots tell CBS News they are not looking for a magic bullet, but they are looking to close this loophole and Florida's new regulations make it in one pilot's words, "a little less likely" someone will slip through.

[justron4]

TSA not to safe , Call them and ask if you need to read.
I was at one airport and the TSA was counting letters. This is quite common for people that can not read.
To check to see if he could read I asked him " Where am I going"

[aa36042]

DefndLiberty

in logic we call your thought a non sequitur meaning that the conclusion has nothing to do with the premise%u2026this is usually the case you find when a liberal that has no understanding of finance/terror tries to link every single issue that is negative in the country with one man. I am truly glad that I have objective thought regarding answers to terrorism, terrorism financing, education and etc than simply a knee jerk reaction to an authority figure you despise..try branching out..try coming up with some thoughts and policy that doesn%u2019t simply revolve around your conspiracy theories related to bush..take a breath and try to address some other issues..your remarks seem bland, non logical and not to the point at hand. But I guess that%u2019s the case with all the libs out there that do not have any policy to discuss..just hatred and clichis re: bush hitler, cheney inc. and etc..yaaawn.

[annouche1]

The US needs to wake up and know that equality of rights does not mean equality. Not all men/women are created equal, they have equal parts of the body, THAT IS ALL. SOME ARE EVILS, CROOKED, AND LIARS. NOW, WILL THE REAL AMERICAN STAND UP AND DEFEND OUR COUNTRY BEFORE SPANISH BECOMES THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE AND TERRORISTS GOVERN OUR COUNTRY? AM I ALONE IN THIS FIGHT?

[beehive21-2009]

Someone will do lots federal time over this

[musty2u]

Since 9/11 the screeners has received special "training", large salary increases as they are now government employees, and took a lesson in "operation go slow" and "dumb look". I can't believe time and process for check-ins. More and more businesses are going to share lease their own jets for business travel because of the unreasonable to ridiculous way air travel has become. Watch the airlines cry over empty business class seats. The plus side, maybe coach travelers will get reasonable upgrades.

[krenz4]

I cn't believe it!! After the US has experienced missing uniforms, missing badges, missing terrorists, false visas, and scams of every ilk at the airports, I cannot believe that they are not screening the "employees". How stupid are we? What's really going on here? How come we are so lax about our security?

[crater7]

AIRPORT BOOSTS SECURITY AFTER GUN ARREST:

AS COWBOY, WOULD SAY, KINDA LIKE CLOSING THE BARN DOOR AFTER THE COWS GOT OUT. GUESS LATE IS BETTER THAN NEVER.HOW MANY GUNS GOT THROUGH BEFORE THESE WERE FOUND?

[scott4261]

Marijuana should be legal for all over 21 and taxed. The same as for alcohol. Prohibition does not work. As we see here, it just drives the trafficking underground

[gunownerdan]

Let's see, marijuana has been illegal in the USA for over 70 years yet today it is America's #1 cash crop.
I think it's time to seriously rethink marijuana prohibition!!
http://www.leap.cc
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition