"Man slips past Oakland airport security officials"

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Man slips past Oakland airport security officials
The Associated Press


OAKLAND, Calif. - A man slipped past security guards and through an exit at
Oakland International Airport on Tuesday morning, causing long lines outside
terminals as authorities searched for the intruder.

Law enforcement officers were searching the airport's two terminals for the
man, but it was uncertain whether he had been found, said Nico Melendez, a
spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration.

Long lines of passengers waiting to board flights formed outside both
terminals as security checkpoints were closed down for about an hour during
the search, Melendez said. Passengers who had already passed through
security were allowed to remain inside.

"We were able to do a sweep of the two terminals and make a determination
that an evacuation was not necessary," Melendez said.

Departing flights were being held until all passengers delayed by the
intruder had passed through security and boarded, airport spokeswoman
Rosemary Barnes said. It was unclear if flights would be delayed.

"No one will miss their flight here out of Oakland this morning," Barnes
said.

Both terminals were reopened after authorities determined the man didn't
pose a threat, Melendez said.

Security forces are on heightened alert throughout the San Francisco Bay
Area as an estimated 250,000 fans converge on and near San Francisco's AT&T
Park for the All-Star Game festivities.

Kevin Hallinan, head of security for Major League Baseball, said last week
that the level of security at the ballpark is higher than the World Series
in 2002, a year after the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. The
park contracted with more than 20 private and public agencies specializing
in land, sea and air security, and emergency response.

Roads around ballpark, the Embarcadero and the piers will be closed until
midnight Tuesday, after the midseason classic ends. The Coast Guard will put
canine enforcement teams on ferries headed to the game.

Planes will be restricted from flying within three nautical miles of the
ballpark, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said. And FBI-led SWAT
teams will be stationed nearby, said Special Agent Joseph Schadler.

Related Stories:

Security Breach At Newark Airport
http://archives.californiaaviation.org/airport/msg33710.html

O'Hare exit lane guards claim they never saw man bolt past
http://archives.californiaaviation.org/airport/msg23610.html

Security Breach at Tulsa International Airport
http://archives.californiaaviation.org/airport/msg41370.html

Police say man tried to bypass security at Sky Harbor
http://archives.californiaaviation.org/airport/msg35472.html

Palm Springs airport evacuated after mystery security breach
http://archives.californiaaviation.org/airport/msg32812.html

SFO evacuates Terminal 3 after security breach
http://archives.californiaaviation.org/airport/msg25027.html

Salt Lake Airport employs new 'intelligent' sentry system at exit lanes
http://archives.californiaaviation.org/airport/msg18872.html

Woman Identified in Breach of Denver Airport Security
http://archives.californiaaviation.org/airport/msg23051.html

Los Angeles Airport Terminal Evacuated After Security Breach
http://archives.californiaaviation.org/airport/msg31565.html

More Changes Ahead After CVG Airport Security Breach
http://archives.californiaaviation.org/airport/msg34007.html

Security Breach Slows John Wayne Airport
http://archives.californiaaviation.org/airport/msg37905.html

 Do you have an opinion about this story?
Share it with other readers in our CAA Discussion Forums

http://www.californiaaviation.org/dcfp/dcboard.php


*****************************************