Humboldt County Officials Say Arcata-Eureka Airport SecurityFlaws Addressed

December 23, 2003

County Officials Say Airport Security Flaws Addressed
Times-Standard, CA


McKINLEYVILLE -- Just in time for the busy holiday traveling season and a 
heightened security level, Humboldt County officials say they've mapped out a 
better strategy to deal with potential terrorist incidents at the Arcata-Eureka 
Airport.

A meeting was held Friday among airport, Sheriff's Department, federal 
Transportation Security Administration and FBI officials to talk about some 
lapses in security that occurred when an explosive device was found in a man's 
luggage at the airport earlier this month.

Airport Manager Jacqueline Hulsey said a "phone-tree list" was put together, 
which means all parties were educated on who and when to call should such an 
incident happen again.

Also, the various agencies are expected to meet quarterly in the future to make 
sure everyone's on the same page as the agencies continue adapting to new 
procedures and protocols necessitated by post-9/11 concerns about airport 
security.  

"And it was a good time to get everyone together anyway," said Hulsey, who took 
over as airport manager just a few weeks ago.

A man, believed to be a Salyer resident, allegedly had an explosive device in 
his checked luggage Dec. 13 when he and his family were getting ready to make a 
trip to Miami. The device was seized, but security officials reportedly were 
satisfied with the man's explanation that he'd borrowed the particular suitcase 
from a relative and was not aware of the device.

Sheriff's Department officials said the "device" was a fuse and gunpowder, 
which the man reportedly said were used for a hobby involving shooting golf 
balls out of a cannon. The man was eventually detained and questioned by 
federal authorities in Miami, but he was released and federal authorities 
indicated they will not seek charges. As of Monday, the Humboldt County 
District Attorney's Office was waiting for a report to be forwarded from the 
Sheriff's Department before deciding whether to file any charges..

The airport's security system took some criticism when it was revealed the man 
had been allowed to board the plane without first being interrogated by the 
Sheriff's Department. In fact, more than three hours passed after the incident 
before the Sheriff's Department was contacted.

Sheriff Gary Philp said as a result of the meeting last week, such a lapse 
shouldn't happen again.

"We let everyone know that if they have an issue, we prefer to be called to 
respond, evaluate the situation and deal with it," Philp said.

In fact, this past weekend, sheriff's deputies were dispatched to cite a 
teenager allegedly caught at the airport with illegal firecrackers in his 
luggage.

Meanwhile, with the holiday traveling season in full swing, and the nation on a 
heightened security alert, Philp said his deputies are making efforts to keep 
an eye on the airport and other potential target areas. Staffing is limited, 
but such efforts mostly boil down to having deputies drop by the airport and 
other locations periodically, or "be visible," as Philp put it.

Hulsey said now's also a good time to remind passengers to carefully check 
their luggage -- and to call the airlines if they have questions about 
something they plan to pack that may or may not be allowed on the plane.

"Check what's in your bag because you're responsible," Hulsey said. "The 
flights are full, so if someone has something (illegal) in their luggage, 
they're slowing down the airplane and they're also slowing down other 
passengers."
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