"Searches give drivers little pause at Wisconsin airport"

Tuesday, February 11, 2003

Searches give drivers little pause at airport
Federal government ordered procedure to check for weapons
By LARRY SANDLER
The Milwaukee (WI) Journal Sentinel


Random vehicle searches moved smoothly and quickly at Mitchell International
Airport on Tuesday, the first day of the new security procedure.
 
Capt. Peter Jaskulski, commander of the Sheriff's Department's airport
security detail, said his goal was to send drivers on their way within 60
seconds if deputies didn't find anything suspicious. Early indications were
that deputies were meeting that goal.

Starting about 1:45 p.m. Tuesday, deputies began stopping and searching
vehicles headed for the airport roadways leading to the ticketing and
baggage claim areas. Electronic signs warned drivers of the stops ahead, and
orange cones directed them into a single lane.

Those searches were ordered by the federal Transportation Security
Administration as part of the nationwide "orange," or high-risk, level
terrorist alert. Authorities have also started searching all vehicles
pulling into the rental car section of the airport parking garage and
prohibiting any other vehicles from parking within 300 feet of the airport
terminal.

In the random searches, deputies are focusing on sport utility vehicles,
vans and trucks, as well as cars with tinted windows, Jaskulski said. They
are searching for what the federal government calls "large-vehicle
improvised explosive devices" - or what others would call car bombs - as
well as terrorists with other weapons, he said.

Ordinary cars without tinted windows are not being searched, Jaskulski said.
In some cases, deputies simply asked drivers to roll down their windows,
glanced inside and let them proceed.

When deputies select a vehicle to search, the process moves quickly. One
deputy asks to look inside, checking the trunk or other compartments.
Meanwhile, Deputy Mike Gapinski and his yellow Labrador retriever, Bow,
circle the vehicle.

"Come on, boy, let's go to work," Gapinski says, as Bow sniffs each vehicle
for traces of explosives.

Drivers who refuse random searches will be prohibited from using the
roadways to the terminal, Jaskulski said. But on Tuesday afternoon, everyone
was cooperating, deputies said.

"You know what? If it makes it safer, I'm all for it," said Vikas Chopra of
Milwaukee, as deputies searched his SUV.

"It probably should be done, because of all the stuff that's been going on,"
agreed Eric Strong of Oconomowoc, as deputies searched his truck.

"It doesn't hurt, unless you're in a hurry, which I'm not," added Robert
Baehr of Kenosha, as deputies searched his van.

To avoid the searches and help keep traffic moving, Jaskulski said, drivers
who are picking up arriving passengers can pull into the airport garage and
wait in the terminal. Airport parking is free for the first 30 minutes.

Attached Photo:

Milwaukee County Deputy Mike Gapinski (right) has his canine partner, Bow,
sniff the outside of a vehicle Tuesday while fellow Deputy Dwayne Sparks
talks with the driver on the road leading to the ticketing and baggage claim
areas at Mitchell International Airport.

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