TSA ID checkpoint

TSA Breaks Record For Highest Number of Firearms Detected at Airport Checkpoints

In 2019, TSA officers detected 4,432 firearms in carry-on baggage or on passengers, breaking the record set in 2018.

  • By Haley Samsel
  • Feb 03, 2020

TSA officers discovered a record number of firearms at checkpoints nationwide in 2019, the agency announced last month. Overall, 4,432 firearms were detected in carry-on bags or on passengers, averaging about 12.1 firearms per day, according to the agency’s report.

The number of firearms amounted to an approximately 5 percent increase over 2018, when 4,239 firearms were detected. Travelers who bring firearms to the checkpoint are subject to criminal charges from law enforcement and potential civil penalties from the TSA.

“The continued increase in the number of firearms that travelers bring to airport checkpoints is deeply troubling,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement. “There is a proper way to travel safely with a firearm.”

Passengers must pack their unloaded firearm in a hard-sided locked case in checked baggage and take it to the airline check-in counter to declare it, according to Pekoske.

The top five airports for firearms detection were Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (323); Dallas Fort Worth International (217); Denver International (140); George Bush Intercontinental in Houston (138); and Phoenix Sky Harbor International (132).

Last year, a Bloomberg News analysis found that the number of guns confiscated by agents increased by 92 percent between 2014 and 2018. In addition, the 10 major airports with the highest gun seizure rates per passenger screened were in states with concealed carry lars or where state officials are required to issue permits to all law-abiding residents.

“Assuming that all those people who are caught with a firearm aren’t terrorists, that’s a huge distraction from the mission of TSA to keep terrorists off planes,” John Pistole, a former TSA administrator and current president of Anderson University in Indiana, told Bloomberg.

The report found that 87 percent of the firearms detected on travelers or their carry-on luggage were loaded. Firearms were discovered in 278 airports across the country.

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Leveraging IoT and Open Platform VMS for a Connected Future

    The evolution of urban environments is being reshaped by the convergence of Internet of Things (IoT) technology and open platform VMS. As cities worldwide grapple with growing populations and increasing operational complexities, these integrated technologies are emerging as powerful tools for creating more livable, efficient, and secure urban spaces. Read Now

  • Securing the Future

    Two security experts sit down with Security Today’s editor in chief Ralph C. Jensen to discuss what they see emerging and changing over the next several years along with how security stakeholders can harness these innovations into opportunities. Read Now

  • Collaboration Made Easy Using a Work Management Platform

    Effective collaboration between security operators, teams and other departments is critical to the smooth functioning of organizations. Yet, as organizations grow in complexity, it becomes more difficult for teams to coordinate with each other. This is compounded by staffing shortages, turnover and ineffective collaboration tools. Read Now

  • Creating a Safer World

    Managing and supporting locks and door hardware within a facility is a big responsibility. A building’s security needs to change over time as occupancy and use demands evolve, which can make it even more challenging. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.

  • ComNet CNGE6FX2TX4PoE

    The ComNet cost-efficient CNGE6FX2TX4PoE is a six-port switch that offers four Gbps TX ports that support the IEEE802.3at standard and provide up to 30 watts of PoE to PDs. It also has a dedicated FX/TX combination port as well as a single FX SFP to act as an additional port or an uplink port, giving the user additional options in managing network traffic. The CNGE6FX2TX4PoE is designed for use in unconditioned environments and typically used in perimeter surveillance.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.