Inappropriate Note Author Identified and Removed From Screening

*** Update 10/27/11: After working with our Office of Chief Counsel and Privacy Office, we have been cleared to say the following: TSA has completed its investigation of this matter, and has initiated action to remove the individual from federal service.  Like all federal employees, this Transportation Security Officer is entitled to due process and the protections embodied in the Privacy Act.   Pending the completion of the removal action, the employee will not perform any screening duties. ***

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Earlier this week, a passenger found a highly inappropriate note scrawled on a "Notice of Inspection" that TSA places in checked bags if they are required to be searched. She tweeted a photo of what she found and we soon learned of the incident.

TSA quickly launched an investigation and identified the employee responsible. That individual was immediately removed from screening operations and appropriate disciplinary action has been initiated.

The handwritten note was highly inappropriate and unprofessional, and TSA has zero tolerance for this type of behavior.

Agency officials have also reached out to the passenger to personally apologize for this unfortunate incident.

Blogger Bob  

TSA Blog Team  

If you’d like to comment on an unrelated topic you can do so in our Off Topic Comments post. You can also view our blog post archives or search our blog to find a related topic to comment in. If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact a Customer Support Manager at the airport you traveled, or will be traveling through by using Talk to TSA.

C4 Explosive Found In Passenger’s Checked Luggage

ETD Machine

A passenger flying out of Yuma International Airport was arrested after a Transportation Security Officer (TSO) searched his bag in response to an Explosive Trace Detection (ETD) test that came back positive. One-half ounce of C4 explosive was found in his checked bag, concealed in a tobacco can. 

ETD machines can detect the smallest amounts of explosives and have been in use since TSA rolled out in 2002. They are used in checkpoint, checked baggage, and cargo environments. We swab things such as laptops, shoes, film, cell phones, bags, wheelchairs, hands, casts, etc. Basically, our officers run the white swab over an area  to collect a trace sample. They then place the swab in the ETD machinery which analyzes the sample for extremely small traces of explosives. The test takes a matter of seconds.

Great job TSA Yuma!

Blogger Bob

TSA Blog Team

If you’d like to comment on an unrelated topic you can do so in our Off Topic Comments post. You can also view our blog post archives or search our blog to find a related topic to comment in. If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact a Customer Support Manager at the airport you traveled, or will be traveling through by using Talk to TSA. 

Egypt Air Firearms Incident: Differences Between Checked Baggage & Carry On Baggage

The recent JFK to Egypt incident where a passenger transported firearms and ammunition in their checked baggage has many wondering if TSA missed these items. Firearms, knives, and ammunition are allowed in checked baggage – they’re not on the checked baggage prohibited items list.

When passengers are checking luggage with firearms, firearm parts, and ammunition, they’re required to declare the items with the airline and ensure they are packed properly. TSA has no role in the declaration process. However, if a Transportation Security Officer (TSO) has to search your checked bag and comes across weapons or ammunition that have not been properly declared or packed, they will have to notify a law enforcement officer as well as an airline representative. Depending on the laws of that state you’re in, you may be fined or even arrested.

Unlike the checkpoint where our officers are using X-ray machines to search for a variety of dangerous items (guns, knives, explosives), in checked baggage, our focus is on finding explosives. If you have a gun or knife in your checked bag, you’re not going to be able to go into the belly of the plane to get it (Unless you’re Samuel L. Jackson). That’s why the prohibited items list differs between checked and carry-on baggage.

We have state of the art explosive detection systems (EDS) in many of our checked baggage locations which work like the MRI and CT scan machines you see in the hospitals. EDS machines can quickly determine if a bag contains a potential threat or not. If our machines alarm on an item, we have procedures combining explosive trace detection and bag searches to help us clear those alarms. In locations without the EDS, we use explosive trace detection in conjunction with bag searches.

Our officers find all sorts of things during checked baggage searches. Frozen monkey heads, kitchen sinks, goat heads and yes, guns, ammo, and knives of all sizes. So make sure you properly declare your guns and ammo, or you might incur an unexpected layover.

Advice From TSA.gov on Traveling With Firearms, Firearm Parts & Ammunition

Blogger Bob
TSA Blog Team

In-Line Baggage Screening: Increased Security and Convenience

Most Americans know that all checked luggage is required to go through screening before it goes onto the plane, but what happens behind the scenes? One of two types of screening systems are being used at airports across the country. “Stand-alone” inspection systems can often be found in the public lobby of an airport terminal near the airline check-in counters—although they are sometimes installed in locations outside of public view. These labor-intensive systems are typically used in small airports or in specific zones with low baggage volumes.

“Stand-Alone” Baggage Screening System Schematic

“In-Line” inspection systems, unlike their stand-alone counterparts, use heavily automated networks of Explosive Detection Systems (EDS) able to handle thousands of bags each hour at busy airports. More than half of the 2 million people that fly each day go through airports with in-line baggage screening systems.

These systems use conveyor belts to automatically screen, sort, and track baggage. Multiple EDS machines are linked to a centralized control room and several “resolution rooms.” When a bag triggers an alarm, the bag’s image is transmitted to the resolution room where trained officers determine whether a physical inspection is warranted.

If a physical inspection is required, the bag is routed via conveyor belt to an inspection area where TSA officers screen the contents of the bag while under constant supervision by closed circuit TV. A notice is placed inside each bag that is physically examined indicating an inspection took place. If there’s a problem afterward, the CCTV footage can be used to determine if a particular bag was indeed hand-searched and by whom. Once an alarm is resolved, the bag is placed back on the conveyor belt and sent on its way to the plane.

Other benefits of this technology: since the in-line system is heavily automated, the number of physical injuries sustained by officers due to lifting baggage is reduced, TSA can track each and every bag throughout the process.

“In-Line” Baggage Screening System Schematic

To learn more about how in-line baggage systems work, check out this link.

How We Do What We Do: Baggage Screening

Click Here to watch how TSA does baggage screening (wmv, streaming).

The Aviation and Transportation Security Act, which created TSA, mandated 100 percent electronic screening of checked baggage. To meet this mandate, TSA installed minivan-sized explosive detection machines in airports across the country, typically in already crowded lobby areas.

Today, TSA is increasingly relying on advanced baggage screening technology. More than half of the 2 million people that fly each day use airports with automated, in-line baggage screening systems. The systems allow passengers to “drop-and-go” curbside or at the ticket counter instead of having to take bags to TSA after checking in with their airline.

This means pre-9/11 convenience for passengers and post-9/11 security for TSA, airports and airlines. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International is one of many airports where an in-line system is used. Click here to view a short video of the in-line system in use.

Jon