Are Airports Really Ready for Knives When They Cant Keep People Off the Tarmac?

Are Airports Really Ready for Knives When They Cant Keep People Off the Tarmac?

Delta Airlines, the Transportation Security Administration and the Atlanta Police Department are still confused and trying to figure out how passenger Shannon Reynolds ended up on the tarmac.

Reynolds arrived at the airport around 5:00am so she would have time to park at an off-site parking lot and still have time to catch her flight. Accidentally, she pulled into a Delta employee parking lot where she was simply waved through two separate security checkpoints and allowed to park. She even was allowed on a Delta employee shuttle bus without being asked for identification, and because none of the employees on board the shuttle were wearing uniforms, the traveler didn’t realize it was for employees only.

“When I got to the airport, I looked around and I realized this is not where I was supposed to be. It was the tarmac with a big airplane sitting there,” Reynolds told CNN.

She promptly alerted the shuttle driver who still allowed her to get out of the bus onto the tarmac. Reynolds was then escorted and allowed into a secure area by an airport employee who told her to go downstairs and go through security as all passengers normally do. It wasn’t until she was inside the terminal that someone finally stopped her and asked for her identification. This prompted the investigation as to how she had made it so far without being checked.

TSA is conducting an investigation to determine how an individual, without proper credentials accessed a secure area of the airport from an airline employee parking lot, while Delta is re-emphasizing to its employees the importance of checking employee identification at Delta employee parking lots.

Reynolds was transported back to her car, allowing her to move it; however, she missed her 6:30am flight.

Reynold’s path BEFORE getting asked to show identification:

  • Delta employee parking lot entrance
  • Delta employee security checkpoint #1
  • Delta employee security checkpoint #2
  • Parked her car in Delta employee parking lot
  • Delta employee shuttle bus
  • Tarmac
  • Secure area of the airport
  • Downstairs to passenger security – FINALLY asked for identification.

So, on April 25, 2013, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will be allowing small knives, billiard cues, ski poles, hockey sticks, lacrosse sticks, golf clubs, and souvenir baseball bats as carry-on items.

The reasoning behind this decision?

To allow officers to better focus on higher threat items.

Really? Then, what happened on the tarmac? Isn’t this incident a “higher threat” security breach that was ignored by employees? Where were TSA officers?

As I think about this incident, I wonder what could have happened if Shannon Reynolds wasn’t Shannon Reynolds, but a terrorist or a criminal.

(Source: http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/04/travel/georgia-passenger-tarmac/index.html)

About the Author

Ginger Hill is Group Social Media Manager.

Featured

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services
  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

  • Report: Nearly 1 in 5 Healthcare Leaders Say Cyberattacks Have Impacted Patient Care

    Omega Systems, a provider of managed IT and security services, today released new research that reveals the growing impact of cybersecurity challenges on leading healthcare organizations and patient safety. According to the 2025 Healthcare IT Landscape Report, 19% of healthcare leaders say a cyberattack has already disrupted patient care, and more than half (52%) believe a fatal cyber-related incident is inevitable within the next five years. Read Now

New Products

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.