Night after night, our hidden cameras captured what security experts tell us is a disaster waiting to happen.
The X-ray machines were off, the metal detectors were closed, and bags with unknown contents were carried to the secure side of the airport where the planes are.
We watched as a security guard let people with purses, coolers and suitcases
walk right through – bags unchecked.
Even more surprising, some of the people you trust to keep you safe planned it this way.
Larry Wansley is widely regarded as one of the nation’s top airline security experts. “It’s a frightening situation, I’ve just simply never seen anything like it,” he said. “I really honestly have not.”
He’s the former head of security for American Airlines, and currently consults the U.S. Government and airports around the world. We brought him in to take a look at what we found.
“It is not security,” he said. “It truly is not security. Anything can be going through there. I don’t get it.”
Pretty shocking, deeply sobering. I certainly hope other news stations will follow Phoenix’s lead and find out whether anything similar is happening in other airports.
It looks like the expose has gotten some results. There is now a “breaking news” trailer attached to the story that says this:
[blockquote]TSA to make security changes at Sky Harbor
As a result of an ABC15 Investigation, Transportation Security Administration administrator Kip Hawley has determined Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport is violating TSA policy which requires all workers to be screened at security checkpoints.
The TSA has reportedly placed the Federal Security Director at Sky Harbor on administrative leave.
The TSA also says it will resume 24-hour screening tonight at all airport security checkpoints.[/blockquote]
Good to see. This fits in well with Jackie Bruchi’s feature today over at Stand Firm. Sometimes investigative reporting and bringing what was hidden into the light is the very best thing that can happen.
My impressions of PHX terminal 4 over a six month period was that the TSA folks were just going through the motions, right down to staging shift changes right in the middle of peak backlog hours and ignoring that effect on wait line backlogs and the ensuing pressure to push through the backlog in a rapid manner. PHX was never designed for TSA operations, but the past TSA administration during the past six years has done virtually nothing to ameliorate that situation, to include hiring the correct number of staff to use the facilities they do operate.