285 LAX Airport-Security Screeners Fired

Associated Press ^ | 07-03-03

[Brian S]

285 Los Angeles Airport-Security Screeners Fired for Security Violations

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES July 3 —

More than one of every 10 security screeners at Los Angeles International Airport were fired or had their badges revoked for security violations, mostly failure to submit to fingerprinting, officials said.

The disqualification of 285 of the 2,615 federal screeners will probably mean longer lines during the Fourth of July weekend, said Brian Sullivan, a retired FAA special agent specializing in risk management.

"Is it also a problem with security? Absolutely," Sullivan said.

The employees were hired by the Transportation Security Administration to screen passengers and baggage headed for commercial airplanes. The workers undergo federal background checks because they have access to restricted areas.

City officials said Wednesday that its own review disqualified 29 screeners because of criminal histories ranging from weapons charges to sexual assault. Another 256 employees failed to have their fingerprints taken by a June 20 deadline.

Councilman Jack Weiss, who sits on the city's Homeland Security Cabinet, called the matter "a true security failure."

Transportation agency officials said its own checks had already found all but two of the screeners with serious criminal records and had fired them or put them on leave. More than 100 of the others were also already terminated or on leave for poor job performance, the agency said.

It said any staffing gaps will be filled with overtime and part-time workers.

[martin_fierro]

Fired for ... laxness.

[hgro]

You might say they are EX-LAX.

[Jim Cane]

No. Their jobs were outsourced to Pakistan.

[Redcloak]

What I want to know is: Did they wake them up to tell them that they're fired? Or did they let them finish their naps?

[taxed2death]

.....probably illegals any way.

[FairOpinion]

More details:

Mercury News

"Transportation Security Administration officials said the agency's own fingerprinting, completed by June 15, identified 27 of the 29 employees that the city said had serious criminal histories. Those employees have been fired or put on administrative leave, said agency spokesman Brian Turmail.

Of the 256 screeners disqualified by the city for not submitting to city fingerprinting, Turmail said, 86 have been terminated, mostly in the last two months for performance issues, 20 are on administrative leave for performance issues, one is on indefinite suspension and seven are absent without leave.

Among the 29 screeners found by the city to have disqualifying criminal histories, one had been convicted of sexual assault or rape, 10 had been convicted of felonies involving assault or theft, and seven had been convicted of unlawful possession, sale or use of an explosive or weapon."

===

While they are submitting the passengers to all kinds of useless indignities, they have potential terrorists working at the airport. And how many other airport workers adn staff are dangerous?!

[Zeppo]

Yeah... It must be lots of fun to be a headline writer!

[Rifleman]

The proctoscopy that one goes through to board an airliner has nothing to do with making flying safer. It is pure symbolism, meant to show that the government is doing something about the problem and to reasure the credable flying public so they will be willing to get on an airplane. It also is a handy test for the feds as it reveals how obediently the population will jump through even stupid hoops if they are told to.

[FairOpinion]

"The proctoscopy that one goes through to board an airliner has nothing to do with making flying safer. It is pure symbolism"

--

I agree. That's why it makes me mad. They should focus on what really makes us safer, not appearances. This invasive search is more of a deterrent for people flying than any fear of terrorism. They keep saying the airline industry is in trouble, and it is, yet they keep doing things to discourage people from flying, while not make us any safer one bit.

[OPS4]

Thats because illegals and felons make up a large portion of L.A.'s population. No one wants the ID law we now have that is why they want IDS to be accepted from other countries so illegals can get into sensitive postions.

Like the terrorists.

Ops4 God Bless America!

[Freedom4US]

Hard to say, I actually tried to get hired by TSA (I know, what was I thinking)w/ a TS clearance. Guess that's not good enough. Truth be told, it appears I'm way over qualified, at least in bizarro world. I just laugh everytime I see stuff like this anymore. Be very afraid.

[VadeRetro]

LAXity should not be tolerated in a security screener!

[FairOpinion]

They should hire you to overhaul their ludicrous "security" system. Obviously they are not able to do it.

[azhenfud]

"...mostly failure to submit to fingerprinting..."

Hmmm, something these have to be afeared of?

[azhenfud]

Classic!

[redbaiter]

When it was time for these people to be made Federal employees the Democrats were active, alert and got the job done. I don't think we'll hear anything from the Dims now that it's time to fire their worthless #sses. Hey Democrats, how about a little consistency in sticking up for your constituents, criminals, the lazy and the incompetent?

[AmericanInTokyo]

They oughta' wand their asses, before deporting.

[martin_fierro]

LOL!

OW!