New McCarran security

Tuesday, April 30, 2002 | 9:14 a.m.

McCarran International is among the airports where Argenbright Security Inc. is no longer screening passengers.

McCarran spokeswoman Hilarie Grey said that effective April 22, Wackenhut Security, a subsidiary of Wackenhut Corp., Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., has been contracted for security screening at the airport.

Grey said Wackenhut was contracted by the federal Transportation Security Administration on an interim basis until federal officials take over airport security responsibilities in November.

Wackenhut has several security contracts with Las Vegas resort companies and also is contracted for security for the Nevada Test Site.

At McCarran, the company is responsible for security checkpoint screening as well as ticket counter and gate screening.

Argenbright, which had other contracts with airlines at McCarran, including providing wheelchair services for disabled passengers, has been replaced on those responsibilities by Prospect Airport Services Inc.

Prospect's contract with the airlines includes pre-checkpoint screening of passenger tickets. That means travelers passing through McCarran's security checkpoint will first be screened by a Prospect employee to check tickets before passing through metal detection systems monitored by Wackenhut.