US airport security 'failed to spot fake weapons'

Fake guns, bombs and other weapons got past American security screeners one in four times at 32 major airports last month.

At three airports - Cincinnati, Las Vegas and Jacksonville, Florida - undercover testers got weapons past security at least half the time, a Transportation Security Administration official said.

The official said the findings were incomplete and the testing period ended yesterday.

In February, the Transportation Security Administration, rather than the airlines, began supervising airport checkpoints, but the screeners continue to work for private companies. Federal employees are supposed to replace them by November 19.

Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Mari Eder said the agency continues to test how well screeners find weapons and explosives to help the agency improve security.

The test results were first reported Monday by USA Today.

Currently, government employees are screening passengers at only three airports - Baltimore; Louisville, Kentucky; and Mobile, Alabama - but the security agency said last week it will begin overhauling checkpoints at more than 130 other airports this month.

The airport tests revealed screeners found hidden simulated weapons or explosives at least 90% of the time in Miami; Newark, New Jersey; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Honolulu. They missed the weapons 41% of the time in Los Angeles.

Overall, the screeners failed to detect prohibited items 24% of the time.

The Transportation Department’s inspector general office earlier conducted its own undercover tests of 32 airports after the September 11 terrorist attacks and found screeners missed knives 70% of the time, guns 30% of the time and simulated explosives 60% of the time, said a person familiar with the report.

Those tests were conducted before February, when airlines still supervised security checkpoints.