McCarran won’t rush into private screeners program

Jace Radke

Monday, March 29, 2004 | 8:47 a.m.

While the chairman of a key aviation subcommittee says that more than 100 airports are planning a return to private security screeners this fall, McCarran International Airport is taking a wait-and-see approach.

All of the nation's commercial airports have the choice of opting out of the federal screeners program after Nov. 19, the three-year anniversary of a sweeping airport security law that created the workforce of federal screeners, said Rep. John Mica, a Florida Republican who heads the House aviation subcommittee.

Privatized security screeners would remain under federal control, with the Transportation Security Administration setting policies and conducting background checks, but private companies would employ the screener.

McCarran has not yet petitioned to be among the airports moving to private screening, and may continue with the federally employed screeners.

"At this point we don't know the details of how the private screening is going to work," airport spokeswoman Hilarie Grey said. "We are really waiting to see what the details will be from the TSA."

Once the details and guidelines are available, McCarran officials will look at their options and make a decision, Grey said.

Mica made his comments after a meeting with TSA officials and airport managers from across the country. Some of the airport officials complained that the federal government is taking too long to hire screeners, leading to a high number of vacancies and long lines at security checkpoints.

Amy Von Walter, a TSA spokeswoman, said the agency is hiring people and will continue to bring on new employees as quickly as possible.

A large part of the problem, she said, is that many airports have part-time openings that are more difficult to fill.

"People prefer to have a full-time job," she said.

In addition, Von Walter said, talk about airports moving to private screeners is pre-mature.

"There will be an application period," in which airports must seek federal approval to opt for private screeners. "It's not like they will just drop out of the program" in November, she said.

Doug Wills, spokesman for the Air Transport Association, the trade association for the leading U.S. airlines, said that with the exception of a small number of airports, the airlines have been pleased with federal improvements in screening. The problem airports, he said, include those in Atlanta, Las Vegas, Miami, and Boston. Two of the airplanes hijacked by terrorists in September 2001 had taken off from the Boston airport.

"We have seen better screening, better protection, and a higher level of professionalism," Wills said.

But at McCarran there have been instances of lines that take four hours to navigate during peak travel periods earlier this year.

The Nevada congressional delegation and airport officials have since spoken to acting TSA administrator David Stone and changes were made at screening checkpoints resulting in shorter lines.

Last year the government dropped its goal of a 10-minute wait time at security checkpoints in favor of specific goals based on what was "reasonable" for each airport.

Currently McCarran is authorized to have 900 TSA workers. The airport is operating with about 800, said Jim Blair, TSA security director at McCarran.

An additional 350 screeners are scheduled to be hired this summer to coincide with the opening of six new checkpoints at the C and D Gate area, bringing the total number of checkpoints at the airport to 31. contributed to this story