Security Agents Caught Reading, Sleeping On The Job
A
United States Congressman says Britain's Birmingham Airport has
such lax security, he wants all flights to the US from that airport
halted.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chairman of the Congress Homeland
Security Committee, called for the suspension after viewing results
of a six-month secret investigation conducted for a British
television program, according to the United Press
International.
"The flights should be stopped until we get better trained
personnel to do the job required to guarantee the safety of
passengers," Thompson said.
On the film, one guard reportedly brags about getting his job in
spite of having criminal convictions for assault and drunken
driving, according to the UPI.
Security guards at the airport were caught, on film, sleeping,
working puzzles and reading instead of checking bags and passengers
for weapons.
Speaking about filmed lapses on a particular flight to New York,
Thompson said, "There are so many things that have compromised that
flight that I saw that nothing short of stopping it, and some sort
of certification by some official that the standards are being met,
should be the only reason that those flights should be allowed to
start again."
Security responsibility is shared between the airport and
private firms such as ICTS UK, a large aviation security company,
according to the Sun News. An airport spokesman said the
allegations related solely to ICTS had already been dealt with.
ICTS UK employees were filmed leaving planes unguarded and
failing to check passengers' shoes, a measure introduced after
9/11, according to The Telegraph. The newspaper speculates these
security lapses could lead to the US intensifying a call for
British Pakistanis to first apply for a visa before traveling to
America.
The security company said it fears "some security procedures may
have been misunderstood."
David Davis, Member of Parliament and shadow home secretary,
said, "These weaknesses create risks in immigration, international
crime and terrorism and we need to hear what the Government is
doing at Birmingham airport to protect public safety."
The footage was made possible by Colin Cross, an ICTS
employee-turned-whistleblower because he was concerned about
passenger safety.
"Sooner or later a terrorist will get on board a flight," he
said.
"A number" of ICTS staff have been suspended as a result of the
film and the company said it launched its own investigation as
well.
Airport officials insist their security system is "sound" but
would conduct an investigation, nevertheless.
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