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American Morning

Hearing To Determine Status of Argenbright Security's State License in Boston

Aired November 30, 2001 - 08:13   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Now ontco the issue of airport security in the U.S. The company in charge of airport security at Boston's Logan Airport, the departure point for two hijacked planes that crashed into the World Trade Center, could lose their state license. A hearing is scheduled today on the fate of Argenbright Security.

Boston Bureau Chief Bill Delaney has all of those details. Good morning Bill, what have you learned?

BILL DELANEY, CNN BOSTON BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning to you Paula. Well one thing I've learned is that we still have to stand well away from the airport here, an illustration of the continuing security concerns here that we're kept only on the parameter of Logan. You used to be able to go a lot closer when you did this sort of thing at Logan.

Another illustration that hearings will be held this afternoon to permanently revoke the license of Argenbright Security here at Logan Airport. Argenbright oversees security for U.S. Airways, America West and Delta here and authorities here say they have had a consistent pattern of security violations.

Now in mid November state police attempted to issue a cease and desist order to prevent Argenbright from overseeing anyone security here. A judge overturned that for lack of notice. What the hearing is about this afternoon is to try to permanently suspend Argenbright's license.

Now state police here citing a number of issues involving Argenbright including a year 2000 $1-million fine against Argenbright for hiring former convicted felons at a Philadelphia airport. They also cite two security violations here post 9-11 at Logan Airport including one that led to emptying a Delta terminal. Argenbright also involved in that incident at Chicago's O'Hare when a passenger got through security with mace, a stun gun, and weapons.

So a history state police here say of problems with Argenbright. Now Argenbright for its part, from its Atlanta headquarters, they hire -- they employ 24,000 people around the country from Atlanta headquarters, Argenbright does. They say that they have restructured their training programs. There have been management shifts at the top including the CEO there. They say they're doing what they can to improve their security and they are a nationwide company, but this could be a big blow to Argenbright as officials here continue to try to prevent the sort of security breaches that led to the planes leaving here -- the hijacked planes September 11th -- Paula.

ZAHN: Bill, of course in the meantime you've got thousands -- tens of thousands of people who will continue to fly out of that airport. I know we talked about this a lot immediately after September 11th now. But what is the attitude of the average flyer there? Do they feel secure flying out of that airport or are they really sensitive about what transpired from that airport?

DELANEY: Well I think that passengers feel certainly more secure than they did two months ago. Security, of course, has dramatically increased here. But Paula, you know, we're in something of a twilight zone as the country and the country's airports try to make a transition to a completely different security landscape.

Argenbright's license has already been revoked at the Phoenix Airport, but Argenbright is still operating there because the airport has not been able to make a transition from Argenbright to another security company. So passengers, passenger flow is good, virtually normal here. Passengers feeling secure because there is so much more security here, but at the same time if you really look at the situation, we're very much in a transitional period so -- at this point as far as airport security around the country Paula.

ZAHN: Looking at the picture I'm surprised any flights are taking off out of there today. Looks like you're sucked in with major fog there Bill. They're flying though? I think they cut his earpiece, so he couldn't hear me, but the weather does look pretty nasty there. Bill Delaney, thanks so much for that report.

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