Airport Boosts Security After Gun Arrests
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.
© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. 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.
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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"
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.
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?
I think it's time to seriously rethink marijuana prohibition!!
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Law Enforcement Against Prohibition