You Can’t Fly with Guns

You Can’t Fly with Guns

It is hard to imagine there are still people who feel they can pack a handgun in their carry-on luggage, board a plane to wherever; guns are not welcome.

Not only not allowed, people trying to get a gun through security is happening in record numbers. According to the TSA, more people are trying to take firearms onboard. TSA officers have confiscated a record number of funs at airport security checkpoints this year, setting a 20-year high, and there are two and a half months remaining and fewer passengers have flown this year due to COVID-19.

“The number of firearms that our TSA officers are stopping at airport checkpoints is alarming,” said David Pekoske, TSA administrator. “Firearms, particularly loaded firearms, introduce an unnecessary risk at checkpoint, have no place in the passenger cabin of an airplane and represent a very costly mistake for the passengers who attempt to board a flight with them.”

Is this crazy, or what? Through Oct. 3, 2021, nearly 4,500 airline passengers brought a gun to the security checkpoint. The previous record was 4,432 in all of 2019. That rounds out to 11 passengers per one million fliers. Compare that to the five guns per million passengers in 2019. Just guessing, but the numbers for 2021 will likely climb a little bit higher.

What role does a constitutional carry law come in to affect? None. It does not matter what state might have this law, firearms still not permitted in carry-on luggage. That includes any type of replica firearm. Persons can fly with a gun but it must be unloaded packed in a locked, hard-sided case and placed in checked baggage; however, it would be best to contact TSA prior to arriving at the airport.

In checking the first two weeks of October, there were 13 instances where TSA stopped passengers with a firearm in their carry-on luggage. Have you noticed lately the number of unruly passengers flying these days? Thankfully, none of these troublemakers had a gun on board.

I wonder who is trying to carry guns through the security checkpoint. Not long ago I reported that a well-known retired football coach from Oklahoma had a firearm in the duffle bag. Who keeps a firearm in a duffle bag, and forgets about it? I am not buying that one, though I am sure there are some fliers who use a duffle bag for a weapons storage device. Maybe not.

Atlanta seems to have caught the highest number of people with 391, Dallas-Fort Worth with 232. Rounding out the Top 5 are George Bush Houston, 168; Phoenix, 147; and Nashville International, 115.

On a final note, in additional potential criminal citations, fliers face civil fines from bringing a firearm to the airport security checkpoint. Penalties are determined whether the gun was loaded and whether there was accessible ammunition.

Know this, you cannot justify bringing your trusty sidearm with you. You cannot fly with a gun.

About the Author

Ralph C. Jensen is the Publisher/Editor in chief of Security Today magazine.

Featured

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

  • AI Used as Part of Sophisticated Espionage Campaign

    A cybersecurity inflection point has been reached in which AI models has become genuinely useful in cybersecurity operation. But to no surprise, they can used for both good works and ill will. Systemic evaluations show cyber capabilities double in six months, and they have been tracking real-world cyberattacks showing how malicious actors were using AI capabilities. These capabilities were predicted and are expected to evolve, but what stood out for researchers was how quickly they have done so, at scale. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.