TSA State of Crime

www.kirotv.com ^ | May 5, 2005 | www.kirotv.com

[Maelstorm]

New airport security measures may protect you, but what about your belongings?

Video Video: New Airport Security Measures May Not Protect Your Belongings

According to information uncovered by KIRO 7 Consumer Investigators, Sea-Tac Airport now ranks number three in the country for claims involving theft and loss out of more than 200 airports.

Now that the busy summer travel season is approaching, Consumer Investigator Bebe Emerman shows you how not to become a victim.

It could happen at a security checkpoint or maybe in baggage claim or even behind the scenes, where trusted TSA security screeners are searching through your bags.

We're talking about the theft of your valuables. We discovered it's a crime that's on the rise.

"I never felt so violated," said Keith Sterling.

For Sterling, last Christmas was anything but merry. Before leaving Phoenix, he and his wife filled their suitcases with gifts. But when their bags arrived on the other end…

"As I lifted it, I said 'This feels awful light.' I said 'This isn't right.' (I) went over to the side, unzipped the suitcase and there were crumpled up bits of newspaper in the luggage."

The only thing the thief left behind was a t-shirt.

"Ha, merry Christmas, you think you're going to have a nice Christmas -- gone," he said.

MORE ON THIS STORY Airsafe.com How to Reduce Luggage Theft Avoiding Luggage Theft at the Airport TSA-Approved Luggage Locks

But he's not alone. There are similar stories all over the country.

Between 2002 and 2004, more than 27,000 incidents of theft, damage or loss have been reported to the TSA, totaling more than $36 million.

Out of 207 airports surveyed nationwide, Sea-Tac had the third highest number of complaints -- more than 1,200 claims, totaling close to $700,000.

Video showed a TSA worker in Spokane searching a bag, then helping herself to passengers' medications.

A TSA screener at Kennedy airport in New York was also caught on tape rifling through a bag planted by police, stealing jewels and money. Both were later arrested.

Todd Curtis -- creator of the Seattle based organization Airsafe.com -- says ironically, new baggage screening rules designed to make travel safer often leave passengers more vulnerable to theft.

"There's a greater likelihood that someone will open the bag and, although the people opening the bags are security professionals -- they've been vetted by the government and such -- human nature being what it is, there are still a few bad apples out there," Curtis said.

But it's not just your checked bags that can be the target of thieves.

Video showed a man as he passes through a busy checkpoint in Phoenix and is pulled aside to be "wanded." The TSA worker is supposed to gather up all his belongings, but he misses the man's watch.

A few seconds later, a mother struggling with an infant and a toddler alerts security to the forgotten watch, but nobody responds.

When the man who was wanded walks away, a woman with a stroller simply helps herself to his watch and strolls away herself, scot-free.

But it's not just moms with sticky fingers.

Video showed an airport janitorial worker pass through a checkpoint. She picks up her backpack and pushes aside a bracelet someone left behind in a bowl. She ties her shoe, grabs her bag and leaves, but returns just moments later to steal the bracelet, right under the nose of security.

"If you have an opportunity out there for someone to take something, there are a certain percentage of people who will take the opportunity," said Todd Curtis.

And, if you are a victim, good luck getting compensation.

A woman who didn't want to be identified told us she had several hundred dollars worth of jewelry stolen from her checked bag as it passed through Sea-Tac last December.

"I know that the airline handled my bag but I know for sure the TSA opened it," she said.

She said she's filed a claim with the TSA and spent hours on the phone trying to get reimbursed for her loss. But so far, no luck.

"I've pretty much written that off," she said.

"Never again in my life will I be able to get on an airplane without that level of doubt, or wonder is everything I packed safe."

You can increase the odds of keeping your belongings safe by never packing anything valuable in a checked bag.

Always keep an eye on your valuables when you pass through a checkpoint.

If you're traveling in a group think about assigning someone to be the designated "watchperson" for everybody's belongings.

And if all else fails, consider using a delivery service like UPS or Fed-Ex to overnight your bags to your destination.

[Maelstorm]

Today was an interesting day. I flew back from Jacksonville, through Charlotte to Richmond and I checked my large 17" laptop which weighs in at 10-15 lbs. The bag went on the belt and disappeared in the underground of the TSA and airport personnel and reappeared on the baggage claim belt minus my laptop and power supply. I knew as soon as I looked at the bag that something was wrong and when I picked it up I knew without a doubt it was gone. At first I hoped maybe it was just misplaced during a baggage search but when I saw the power supply was gone it was clear that someone had stolen it. There was no time when it wasn't in airport personnel hands. I did some research and it seems this isn't an uncommon occurrence.

Most of the people loading baggage have little chance or opportunity to take things out with out getting caught. It is the TSA personnel who are authorized to open your bags that have been implicated and caught in most cases. I also was interested to find that there was no electronic alert system to notify baggage managers and security centers when things are "going missing" in checked baggage. They expect you to fill out a form and wait till an investigation is done.

Read the security watch section of this and see what I mean.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0605/26/ltm.07.html

Watch this it is unbelievable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWFPfCvqdV0

[Paladin2]

Moral (this shouldn't really be news as it has always been a problem with checked luggage): Don't pack anything that you'd mind never seeing again. The fact that they are from the gov't (TSA) and not really there to help YOU shouldn't be a surprise.

[Hildy]

Every profession has their bad apples. I suspect the TSA is no exception. Why would you pack ANYTHING of value anyway? You have a better chance of having your luggage lost than having a screener take something. l

[Atlas Sneezed]

Simple solutions:

Make theft by TSA or airline employee the same as joking about a bomb.

Prohibit any bag to be opened by only one person. Have a watcher.

All bags opened only on camera. Have the camera system coded to the bag tag, so that one can immediately on loss download the video for the bag-search.

Have all airport personnel pass through full security search to and from work, so that nothing can be smuggled either way.

[Myrddin]

TSA has pried the locks on both of my best Samsonite hard shell suitcases. They arrived wrapped in TSA security tape because the latches have been destroyed. Currently, I don't have any suitcases available to travel if my employer demands it. The closest repair facility is 170 miles south. Repairs are $25 per latch. Frame repairs will be extra and necessary. Shipping back to my house is $15 per suitcase.

The latest TSA vandalism happened because the Delta airlines ticket clerk pulled multiple baggage tags off from the "self serve" check-in. She called my name, I showed my ID and presented my bag. She put the WRONG tag on my bag. Instead of being routed to Pocatello via Salt Lake City, it was routed just to Salt Lake City with someone elses name on it. The bag passed the TSA electronic screening at Washington Dulles and was transported to Salt Lake City under the constant control of the airline. TSA decided they still had to destroy my latches. I'm really pissed. The replacement cost for the suitcases is about $500 each. I use them to transport electronics boards to the field when I'm traveling. I'm expecting TSA to deny any claims for damage because the latches don't have to approved TSA locks. It doesn't matter on iota that the bags were cleared with electronic screening before they were locked.

[traviskicks]

bkamrk

[proudofthesouth]

I agree it is unbelievable and sad too. There are too many people out there who don't have any respect for another person's property.

I'm so glad that I don't have to fly anywhere and what little traveling I do is within a few hours drive of my home.

If I were to fly I would definitely FedEx everything except a small carryon and my purse.

[Mr J]

Hopefully things will work out for you.

My direct experience is that the TSA is one of the best things that ever happened to FedEx and UPS. :)

[proudofthesouth]

http://unsafeatanyaltitude.com/

The book is titled "Unsafe At Any Altitude".

I haven't read the book yet but saw the authors giving a talk on a TV show. What they have uncovered is truly frightening.

I plan to buy it soon (hopefully one of the book clubs I belong to will offer it, if not I'll order it from Amazon).

[Humidston]

Boy am I grateful that the Democrats fought for TSA employees to become civil servants, thereby insuring their job security regardless of poor performance and outright theft!

/sarc

[GeorgiaDawg32]

unless I absolutely have to fly, I now drive everywhere, even across country..I have a nice big pop-up camper that I haul behind the F150 so I have my hotel room on wheels..

I work in telecom and have, in the past, had my toolbox pried open and lost several hundred $$ worth of test gear, etc..

[july4thfreedomfoundation]

If you want to see endless threads about hassles that frequent flyers have with the TSA, log on to
flyertalk.com. Once there, click on the top of the screen
where it says "Travel & Dining." When the next window pops up, scroll down and, on the left hand side of the
screen, click where it says "Travel Safety / Security."
There are hundreds of truly amazing, and at times infuriating, posts about airport "security" and all things pertaining to the TSA.

By the way, NEVER check a lap top. Not today, not tomorrow,
not EVER!

[Skywalk]

Who didn't know that these stupid and sometimes pointless security measures wouldn't mean an increase in theft. People used to take big carry-ons or would check the bag at the boarding gate. Now they have that stupid little box your things have to fit in and they make more and more rules to prevent you from taking things on board.

Then the agencies, never staffed with the 'best and brightest' to begin with, are granted more power and self-supervision over people's belongings.

What a surprise. I swear, an airline that pre-screened passengers with full background, biometric data, etc would make a killing out there. People want to circumvent the scuzzy TSA workers.

[A Strict Constructionist]

I predict that TSA employees will be involved in the next attack involving the airline industry.

[Global2010]

I was always under the impression that employees of TSA were just a bunch of welfare lice that the govt insisted they get jobs and put them all in the TSA work program.


Can anyone give tell me where, who and what traening TSA employees have actually had?

[Myrddin]

My direct experience is that the TSA is one of the best things that ever happened to FedEx and UPS. :)

My customer is learning this first hand. Instead of being able to place circuit boards around my socks and clothing for transport in my hardshell suitcase, the items will be put in bubble wrap and boxes. To maximize useful work hours with the hardware, it will be shipped overnight the day before I have to travel. It worked out to about $120 each way last trip. I'm still out a couple of suitcases.

I use UPS ground for stuff that isn't time critical between my office and the hardware vendor. It's not unreasonable to rearrange my work priorities around that sort of requirement. It gets time critical when I'm building a bunch of custom units that have to go to the field and others are throwing changes my direction up to the last minute. It costs extra to play the game that way.

[PAR35]

Can anyone give tell me where, who and what traening TSA employees have actually had?

Come on now. You know they have all had their one day diversity training, and probably a half day or so of sexual harrassment training.

[bennowens]

TSA = Thousands Standing Around

[Maelstorm]

Exactly my thoughts. Why aren't they held responsible? What makes government employees special? The suggestion has been made that instead of checking your baggage you instead ship it via Fed-ex. If Fed-ex can get things to point a from point b why can't the airlines? I had never had anything stolen before and my laptop was indeed stolen by someone who had the opportunity to open the bag after it was checked. What I couldn't believe is that they had no better system to deal with stolen or "missing items" than to give you a number to the "lost and found". I had half a mind to ask for the "pinched and stolen" department. Many ask why would you ever check anything of value? My laptop was huge and heavy not something easily taken or easy to sneak out and I'd never had any problems before. Plus you'd think with all the damn security it'd be almost impossible for a worker to smuggle anything in or out of a secure area. My baggage had been delayed before but nothing ever was missing or broken. I flew a lot before 9-11 and nothing like this happenned. What I found out when I researched this is that this is a big problem. The TSA screener said they get huge call volume .

[Maelstorm]

Exactly, they discourage carry ons then tell you they can't be responsible for things that are in their hands? They should warn you before you board that they have a probably with items being stolen out of checked luggage. I still can't figure how they smuggle the stuff out since the security is supposed to be so high. I'm going to be one pain in the ass for them by the time this is done. It isn't even about the laptop, I'll get a new one either way. It is just the principle of the whole thing. It is a mockery of the whole idea of security when the place is run by thieves.