"Transportation Official Addresses Tampa Airport Needs"

Saturday, May 8, 2004 

Transportation Official Addresses Airport Needs
By TED JACKOVICS 
The Tampa (FL) Tribune


TAMPA - The Transportation Security Administration can hire an additional
1,500 airport security inspectors to meet a congressional cap of 45,000
employees, a top Department of Homeland Security official said on a visit to
Tampa on Friday.

But Asa Hutchinson, undersecretary for border and transportation security,
made no commitment that Tampa International Airport will get more help to
alleviate sometimes lengthy delays at security checkpoints for departing
passengers. 

``We constantly evaluate where we need to put additional resources,'' he
said. 

``We have to balance the needs in Tampa with the needs in Chicago and all
across the country. People have to understand they have to get to the
airport early.'' 

Tampa airport officials have lobbied the TSA, one of the departments
Hutchinson oversees, for more security screening personnel because
passengers are stacked up for up to 45 minutes at certain times of the day
at Airsides A and E. 

``We will have to wait to see what happens,'' said Louis Miller, Tampa
International director, who gave Hutchinson an airport tour Friday. 

Hutchinson said air cargo security has received more attention since the
Sept. 11 attacks and the federal government will continue to evaluate how to
strengthen inspections of cargo shipments aboard commercial airlines. 

``We have mandated the physical inspection of a certain percentage of cargo
that goes on [commercial aircraft] and there is an ongoing review of how to
strengthen that even more,'' he said. 

Hutchinson said the TSA sends inspection teams to assess secure areas of the
airport, including air cargo areas.


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