JWA baggage screening goes federal

Deepa Bharath

Security measures changed again Wednesday, as federal screeners

replaced those employed by private companies at the airport’s

security checkpoints.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta officially

introduced the screeners at a press conference at the airport

Wednesday. The uniformed screeners, wearing navy blue pants and white

shirts with the letters “TSA” on them, have been hired by the

Transportation Safety Administration, an agency created by President

George W. Bush after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Mineta said John Wayne will be one of the first airports in the

country to have screening technology in place and operating by the

end of the year to check 100% of all bags. Airport managers are

counting on the December installation of the $29-million

explosives-detection system. Airports have until Dec. 31 to install

the new machines.

The airport now has 150 federal screeners, though that number will

likely go up to 193 by next month, Mineta said.

He called the screeners the “frontline soldiers in America’s war

against terrorism.

“Today marks the day when the federal government officially takes

over responsibility for airport security,” he said. “It has been a

challenging year so far, but we have worked together to restore the

confidence of the flying public in aviation safety and security.”

Mineta said the purpose of this endeavor is twofold.

“Our twin goals are world-class security and world-class customer

service,” he said. “These men and women are well-trained in the

latest security techniques to screen baggage and detect security

breaches. But they have also been trained to treat passengers with

respect and dignity.”

Mineta also said the government is spending several million

dollars to find faster machines to detect explosives. He said it

could take two years to get those newer machines.

The federalization of the screening process would make the process

more uniform and consistent, he added. Airports nationwide have until

Nov. 19 to roll out federal screening. The federal baggage screeners

have undergone 40 hours of classroom training and 60 hours of

on-the-job training.

Shay Ashford, a screener previously in the military, said the

hands-on training helped him know what to expect and what to look for

in baggage.

“You have to hand it to the people who trained us,” she said. “We

know what almost everything looks like. Nothing’s going to get past

us.”

Ashford said she is also trained to be “quick and efficient.”

“We’re going to try to get you out of the checkpoint in five

minutes,” she said. “Sometimes, if we suspect there’s something

wrong, it would take longer. We know we’ll have an unhappy passenger

here and there. But our No. 1 priority is to make sure everybody gets

to their destination safely.”

Screener Chris Costa said that a lot of times, she sympathizes

with passengers.

“I feel really sorry for them sometimes,” she said. “I think it’s

very important for us to be polite and courteous to them. We need to

treat them like we would want to be treated.”

Erin Rettino, who was getting ready to fly out of John Wayne on

Wednesday, said she would feel comfortable with the new system.

“I personally think anything could happen anytime or anywhere,”

she said. “But if there’s federal guidelines and a watchdog service,

I definitely feel like I’m safer.”

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at deepa.bharath@latimes.com.