TSA sets record for most guns confiscated at Philadelphia International Airport in a year
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Transportation Security Administration said Wednesday that officers at Philadelphia International Airport recently set a new record for most guns caught at the airport's security checkpoints in a single year.
On Dec. 12, agents confiscated a gun from a Newark, Delaware, man as he passed through security, bringing the total number of firearms recovered in 2023 to 45.
Earlier this month, agents at PHL tied the record set in 2022 of 44 guns when they stopped a Philadelphia man from boarding a flight with a loaded 40 mm gun.
RELATED: TSA expands controversial facial recognition program
The weapon recovered on Tuesday was an unloaded, .357 caliber gun detected inside the man's backpack. He has been cited on a weapons charge.
According to the TSA, the Delaware man also faces a financial civil penalty that could reach up to $15,000.
"This individual told us that he forgot that he had his gun with him. That's careless, inexcusable and irresponsible," Gerardo Spero, TSA's Federal Security Director for the airport, said in a statement. "This is not the type of record that we are celebrating. We would much rather see fewer travelers bringing their guns to our checkpoints."
Data from the TSA shows the number of guns recovered at PHL was on a steady decline between 2017 and 2019. Then between 2019 and 2022, the number of guns confiscated at the airport increased by about five each year.
- 2017: 35 guns
- 2018: 35 guns
- 2019: 20 guns
- 2020: 26 guns
- 2021: 39 guns
- 2022: 44 guns
- 2023: 45 guns
Airport security experts say the uptick is a combination of more people traveling and more people opting to own a gun.
"There are 400 million firearms that people own right now, and in some parts of the country people just carry a firearm like they would carry a smartphone," said expert Sheldon Jacobson.
Last year, TSA agents stopped 6,542 guns at security checkpoints nationwide. The agency said so far, officers have detected more than 6,000 guns across the country this year, and are on track to set another national record.
According to TSA data, the airports with the highest number of guns caught so far this year were Atlanta with 430 and Dallas with 360.
"Look at an airport like Nashville, which has around 20-30% lower volume yet they have around five times more firearms detected in 2022. You start to realize it's not always the volume, it's the environment around the communities and how people view firearms," Jacobson said.
RELATED: When will surveillance cameras be installed inside PHL's parking garages?
TSA officials remind everyone that airline passengers can fly with firearms, but only if they are in checked baggage. All firearms must be properly packed and declared at check-in with the airline.
