DOT
106-01
October
11, 2001
Contact:
Chet Lunner
(202)
366-4570
WASHINGTON
– U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta praised Thursday’s
actions by the Justice Department seeking to revoke the probation of Argenbright,
Inc., a security screening firm operating at Philadelphia International Airport,
and assigned a special enforcement team to the airport.
Assistant
U.S. Attorney John Pease on Thursday petitioned the U.S. District Court in
Philadelphia to order Argenbright officials to a hearing to answer charges that
they continue to violate an earlier court order regarding the hiring of
screeners without appropriate background checks or training.
“The
action taken today against Argenbright is further evidence of this
Administration’s commitment to the safety and security of the traveling
public,” said Secretary Mineta. “I
want to thank and congratulate the members of the Department of Justice, the
U.S. Attorney’s Office of Philadelphia, the Transportation Department’s
Office of Inspector General, and other participating law enforcement agencies,
for collectively underscoring the government’s resolve in enforcing the vital
security regulations of our national aviation system.”
To
insure that the traveling public continues to receive the proper level of
safety, Secretary Mineta has assigned a special Security Assessment Team to
Philadelphia Airport. Comprised of a Federal Security Manager from the FAA and
agents from the DOT Office of Inspector General, the team will scrutinize
screening operations and enforce federal standards. The team will insure that
the court's compliance order is adhered to, with specific focus on verifying
background checks and employee training.
Today’s
announcement is the culmination of an investigation initiated by the Department
of Transportation’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) in January 1999,
after receiving allegations from FAA inspectors that Argenbright had falsified
background investigations at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL).
In
the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, the Department of
Transportation has also implemented a series of directives aimed at
strengthening passenger security, and is currently working with Congress to pass
legislation that will, as part of a comprehensive package, place the security
and screening process at all airports under federal management and control.
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