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TSA and Law Enforcement Partners Crackdown on Theft

News & Happenings

October 25, 2007

Thanks to an investigative project started at the end of 2006, TSA is moving aggressively to combat baggage theft at airports across the country.

Under the program – led by TSA's Office of Inspections – the agency teams up with its local and federal law enforcement partners to deter theft and help catch and prosecute suspects, thereby reducing the number of claims filed by passengers.

For example, last summer at Las Vegas-McCarran International Airport, special agents from TSA, the federal security director’s staff and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department teamed up on a sting operation that led to the arrest of two airport employees for stealing weapons from baggage. The two are accused of stealing four weapons, including two automatic machine guns, from the checked baggage of military servicemen traveling to Iraq. All the military weapons were recovered and no TSA employees were involved in any of the thefts.

"TSA is committed to the safety and security of passengers and their belongings," said Jackie Colonna, inspections special agent in charge of the operation. "Every time we are able to effectively partner with a local law enforcement agency...passengers are the ultimate winners."

In addition to these theft stings, TSA is working closely with its partners at airports nationwide to utilize and deploy comprehensive surveillance systems to monitor baggage screening and loading areas, further deterring would be thieves.