Friday, April 20, 2012

TSA Week in Review: Man Brings Pistol Through Checkpoint. Again!
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2nd Time Isn’t a Charm - You can possibly get away with saying you didn’t know you had your gun the first time, but a second time? A passenger at John Wayne Airport (SNA) attempted tobring a loaded .357 pistol through security in his carry-on bag. Leave your guns at home, pilgrim.

Warheads - Yes, warheads. Three of them. They were discovered in ominous black lockboxes at the checkpoint at Salt Lake City (SLC). The good news is they were inert devices used for training by the passenger’s company.

A Little Less Flare – If somebody suggested that you should add some flair to your travel, they didn’t mean “flare.” Yes, another flare gun complete with flares was discovered in a carry-on bag. This time it was at Tampa (TPA).

Det Cord Igniter Used as Keychain - An inert det cord igniter was detected in the carry-on bag of a Sacramento (SAC) passenger. Not the ideal keychain when traveling by air…

Throwing Stars - Two days in a row, Officers at Los Angeles (LAX) found throwing stars. One passenger had the star in his wallet and the other in their bag. We are familiar with the ways of your Kung Fu.

Cane Sword - Yet another cane sword was discovered. This time it was at Phoenix (PHX). People usually have no idea the swords are inside their cane.

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Lipstick Knife - Unlike cane swords, there is no way you could say you didn’t know the knife was in the lipstick case. This one was found at Oakland (OAK).

People Say the Darndest Things- Here is an example of what not to say at the airport. Statements like this not only delayed the people who said them, they can also inconvenience lots of other passengers if the checkpoint has to be evacuated:

While placing their property in a bin prior to screening, a passenger at Rapid City (RAP) stated: “Do you want me to put my explosive belt on top of my explosive shoes?”

Miscellaneous Prohibited Items- In addition to all of the other prohibited items we find weekly, our Officers also found firearm components, realistic replica firearms, stun guns, pepper spray, brass knuckles, a copious amount of knives, ammunition, and batons.

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Firearms - Here are the firearms our Officers found in carry-on baggage since I posted last Friday.

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You can travel with your firearms in checked baggage, but they must first be declared to the airline.You can go here for more details on how to properly travel with your firearms. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality. Travelers should familiarize themselves with state and local firearm laws for each point of travel prior to departure.

Unfortunately these sorts of occurrences are all too frequent which is why we talk about these finds. Sure, it’s great to share the things that our officers are finding, but at the same time, each time we find a dangerous item, the throughput is slowed down and a passenger that likely had no ill intent ends up with a citation or in some cases is even arrested. This is a friendly reminder to please leave these items at home. Just because we find a prohibited item on an individual does not mean they had bad intentions, that's for the law enforcement officer to decide. In many cases, people simply forgot they had these items in their bag. That’s why it’s important to double check your luggage before you get to the airport.

Blogger Bob Burns
TSA Blog Team

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Labels: Blogger Bob, guns, permitted and prohibited items, Traveling With Firearms and Ammunition, Week In Review

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posted by Blogger Bob at 4/20/2012 05:03:00 PM

The TSA Blog: TSA Week in Review: Man Brings Pistol Through Checkpoint. Again!