Groups In Chicago, Elsewhere Keep Their Eyes Open And Cameras Ready

There was a time not too long ago that sitting near an airport fence with a camera and a long lens would have at the very least gotten you escorted away from the airport, and might have led to a lengthy conversation with local or federal authorities.

While that still may be the case, groups of planespotters in Chicago and elsewhere have been organized and enlisted in the cause of airport safety by state and local officials.

A CNN feature explains how a Chicago Group called ORD Airport Watch has been working with local authorities to help the cause of airport safety around Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (KORD). Members of the all-volunteer group have undergone background checks and received training in how to recognize suspicious activity. While enjoying their favorite hobby of photographing low-flying airplanes, they must wear "official" orange vests and carry a police-issued ID card. Failure to do so can get members kicked out of the group.

Bensenville is one of the many communities near the airport. Village president Frank Soto said the presence of the ORD Airport Watch has helped reduce crime 54 percent since 2009, and six percent just last year.

In a statement to CNN, a TSA representative said that the agency is "proud to provide support and training to the Bensenville Police Department Airport Watch Program to help improve security at the Chicago O'Hare International Airport."

FMI: http://ordairportwatch.org/