12 LAX Screeners Targeted

As the TSA "rescrubs" its screener force, looking for felonies that might have been otherwise hidden, 12 screeners at Los Angeles International Airport (CA) have been nabbed for unreported criminal backgrounds.

The TSA said several of the "dirty dozen" had pasts that included the "unlawful, use, sale, distribution or manufacture of an explosive or weapon." Seven of the screeners were shown the door. The other five have been placed on administrative leave.

LAX: Rechecking TSA's Checks

The Washington Post reports documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show the 12 LAX inspectors "were certified by the TSA as not having a disqualifying history." Recently, however, they were determined by the airport itself to "have a disqualifying criminal history." An additional 59 out of more than 2,000 screeners were flagged for further review of their pasts after the airport conducted fingerprint-based checks.

"This shows the value of fingerprint-based background checks," said airport spokesman Paul Haney. "Going forward, we will require our badging office to perform the fingerprint-based background checks prior to issuing an airport badge."

LAX started fingerprinting screeners after six TSA employees 'fessed up to criminal pasts that hadn't before come to light. LAX officials started the fingerprint checks, only to find at least 24 more workers with "questionable" backgrounds. That led to a congressional hearing and a full-blown investigation by the Department of Homeland Security.

Problem? What Problem?

At the congressional hearing, TSA spokesman Robert Johnson promised the agency had not only reinvestigated the backgrounds of screeners at LAX, but in Chicago and New York as well. Only one screener was fired as a result, said Johnson. TSA officials insist the LAX debacle is not indicative of a larger problem involving untested or deceitful screeners. Instead, the findings at Los Angeles were part of "that final 1.1 percent of screeners who need fingerprint checks completed," TSA's Brian Turmail said. "We're taking immediate and appropriate action with these individuals."

FMI: www.lawa.org, www.tsa.dot.gov