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CNN Live Saturday

TSA to Propose Expanding Airport Patrols

Aired July 06, 2002 - 18:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: We begin with a developing story that we are following this half hour. There are some reports today that the Transportation Security Administration wants to expand patrols at America's airports.

CNN's Kathleen Koch is joining us now from Washington with the latest on this. Kathleen, I know there's some wire reports out that they could be putting some armed officers out there in the airports. Tell us what you're hearing about that.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Catherine, actually this is something that has been planned for some time. Back in the fall when Congress passed the Aviation Security Act, they mandated that the federal government would have its own armed security force in the airports. Now, initially they started with just the National Guard in place.

In recent months, as people may have noticed, the National Guard was transitioned out and local law enforcement officers started filling that gap. Then, eventually, by the end of the year, the federal government will hire its own armed security force, part of the Transportation Security Administration.

Now, the TSA did today put out an announcement and part of that announcement they say was to clarify that their personnel were involved on Thursday in helping stop this assailant in the airport in LAX. And, in their statement they did emphasize that having armed security people in the airports and near the ticket counters is very important.

This statement said, "This incident, even if isolated and regardless of motive, emphasizes that we cannot be complacent about any of the security measures that we've put in place at our airports, and at the other modes of transportation." The statement continues, "Had this event occurred at another airline counter without armed security guards, the situation unfortunately would have been worse."

Now, the acting director of communications for the Transportation Security Administration, Mary K. Eder (ph) said that this statement is nothing new, it does not announce any new deployment of security personnel, it simply emphasizes the importance of these armed security personnel who will, eventually, be in place throughout the airports providing security not just at that checkpoint, the security point, where people get ready to go to the gates, but also in those more open areas of the airport, near the doors, near the ticket counters.

So, again, they're saying not to react too much to this wire report that frankly got this just a little bit wrong.

CALLAWAY: Kathleen, when I ask you, though, do you -- after this incident, though, in L.A., why don't they move this forward a little bit faster, step it up a little bit, perhaps?

KOCH: I asked them that, whether or not, again, that would happen; if this meant that people would be going into places more quickly and they said no, again, that they do have these local law enforcement officers who are in place in various positions throughout the airports currently, and that again they will eventually be supplanted by federally trained, armed, law enforcement officers but that that will happen at the same pace that it was mandated to happen.

CALLAWAY: All right, Kathleen Koch. Verifying a report for us that are circling on the wires this afternoon. Thank you very much, Kathleen.

KOCH: You bet.

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