"U.S. airport employees may face stricter screenings"

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Airport employees may face stricter screenings
By Selena Hernandez
KENS-TV Ch 5 (CBS), San Antonio (TX)
 

Metal detectors, liquid bans, random bag checks - as passengers, we've come
to expect tight security measures associated with flying. 

Soon those measures will extend beyond people just taking-off to include
those who never leave the airport. 

San Antonio International Airport officials told KENS 5 Congress is putting
into motion measures that will ensure airport employees are subject to
stricter security checks. 

Right now, all airport employees must pass a background check from both the
San Antonio Police Department and the FBI, but soon, their checks could
include something more intrusive. 

"This would be a huge step, as far as the amount of background checks that
we're going through. This would kind of open it up to a lot of different
areas we don't currently have in place," said David Hebert, spokesman for
the airport. 

U.S. lawmakers are currently debating how to keep closer tabs on those who
have access to secured areas of airports, meaning that everyone from
restaurant employees to airline mechanics could soon be subjected to more
rigorous background checks. 

"We're just waiting to see what they come up with. It's fairly early in the
process," Hebert said. 

Some of the ideas under discussion include a check of an employee's credit
history and a search of their bags and property before entering secured
areas. Perhaps the most extreme idea is the use of biometric readers for
fingerprints and eyes - even possibly a chip implant, an idea KENS 5 is told
more than likely won't fly. 

"Before they ever got to the chip in the hand or anything like that, we feel
like they'd probably opt for a less intrusive way of going about it," Hebert
said. 

Again, details surrounding these measures remain under congressional
discussion.

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