Airport Security--2002

Piedmont-Triad International Airport, Greensboro, NC.
This story is a production of the "2 Wants To Know" team at WFMY-TV. WFMY is the CBS affiliate in Greensboro, NC.
This story was produced 6 months after the Greensboro airport (PTI) had been fully staffed with security screeners from the TSA. We decided to test them, by using lead-lined filmshield bags and small metal objects. We did NOT attempt to bring weapons of ANY TYPE past security screeners--we merely wanted to see how diligent the TSA screeners were. The results were rather disappointing, with VERY significant failure rates of the screeners. However, we produced and aired this story in 2002, so I would presume things have improved!
Also appearing in this story--as our expert--is Steve Elson. Steve is a retired inspector from the FAA. While at the FAA, Steve worked for the "Red Team". In that capacity he would go to (pre-TSA) airports and try to smuggle weapons through security as a way of evaluating security. He was on OUR side as an employee of the US Gov't.
It would be impossible to duplicate this story today using the same techniques we used. One aspect of this is that the FAA has changed some of the rules. Back in 2002, if you had an itinerary and an ID, we could go through security--that is no longer the case. Now a boarding pass is required. We used the "itinerary technique" because that allowed us to get a full refund on the cost of our tickets since we did NOT get boarding passes or board the plane. You could still do a similar story today, but it would cost you a lot more money! Another reason why it would be hard to duplicate this story today is that PTI has been physically re-configured--so the sight lines we had for our undercover video no longer exist, so a different video strategy would have to be deployed.
Story produced by Lechelle Yates and David Renner.
Story written by Lechelle Yates.
Video shot by David Renner and Jeff Skordas (Jeff shot all the video of the TSA workers that is mostly at the beginning of the story).
Video edited by David Renner

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Airport
• Security;
• Lechelle
• Yates;
• Steve
• Elson;
• David
• Renner;
• WFMY-TV;
• Wants
• To
• Know;
• Lee
• Baber;
• TSA;
• FAA;
• Greensboro

[Douglas10ER]

I'd also like to say that it could be possible that the x-ray machines at the courthouse and the airport could have been two very different types, which could have given two very different visuals. In 2000, my airport was using an x-ray machine built in 1983 which was black & white or orange and green. Nearly everything was image was opaque. Clearly not something that should be used at and airport checkpoint. TSA has brought enhanced equipment to the front lines and that is a marked improvement.

[Douglas10ER]

This is very good reporting. But allow me to please say, as a former security screener that with some X-ray machines, some film bags were able to be viewed "through" meaning there was no obvious threat hidden in or around the film bags and that could be clearly seen. Most however required a bag check and I was always taught that procedure was to re-x-ray the bag without the item in the bag. Aka common sense.