"Security 'Surge' Comes To Close At Orlando Airport"

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Security 'Surge' Ends At Orl. Airport
TSA Agents Pulled Out; OIA To Pick Up Slack
WKMG-TV Ch 6 (CBS), Orlando (FL)


ORLANDO, Fla. -- The three-day security "surge" at Orlando International 
Airport ends on Thursday, meaning that many of the 800 Transportation 
Security Administration workers used to screen all 16,000 airport 
employees will be pulled out.

Airport officials told Local 6 News that they will pick up the slack and 
continue to screen all the workers but didn't say how that would be 
accomplished.

TSA officials announced earlier this week that it was doing a screening 
"surge," adding 160 extra agents to airports in Orlando, Tampa, Miami 
and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The announcement came days after two airport workers were arrested for 
allegedly smuggling drugs and weapons onto a jet that flew from Orlando 
to Puerto Rico, exposing a major flaw in the screening process.

Earlier this week, a security analyst said that the loopholes inthe 
screening process must be closed.

"When you highlight the fact that you can smuggle guns, we're also 
saying you can smuggle bombs, you can smuggle chemical weapons," 
aviation security analyst Charles Slepian said. "If we don't search 
people in the backs of airports, we are totally exposed."

OIA officials told Local 6 News that they want to make the screening of 
all employees permanent, but said the initial cost estimate could be $5 
million.

Airport officials said they are trying to get federal legislation passed 
to help offset the cost.


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