Security Officer's Sharp Eye and Good Memory Helps Police Find Missing Girl
News & Happenings
Every day, 2 million people go through security checkpoints, which means each transportation security officer (TSO) working a checkpoint sees hundreds of people daily. The sheer volume of people going through, day after day, makes the following story even more amazing.
Shemeka Greaves, a TSO at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, was recently credited with reuniting an 8-year-old girl with her father after seeing the girl's photo in a newspaper article about a missing child. TSO Greaves recalled screening the girl along with another female passenger on the morning of May 9, 2008, two days earlier.
Acting on her hunch, Greaves notified her managers. A review of checkpoint surveillance tapes showed the missing girl going through security with a female companion. Greaves was interviewed by the Chicago Police Department, and her tip helped the police narrow their search to Atlanta. Police found the child in Atlanta with her mother, who did not have custody rights.
"We are proud that Shemeka's alertness and good memory helped the Chicago police find the girl," said Assistant FSD Art Bell. "The sharp eye and mind of this officer were directly responsible in providing additional information to help police solve the case."
The missing girl was returned to her father, who expressed gratitude to TSA for helping find his daughter.
