“New figures out today show 381 TSA officers have been fired for stealing from passengers and their luggage, and members of Congress think that just might be the tip of the iceberg,” said an ABC News report which aired September 27.
In a recent sting, ABC investigators walked away from an iPad at airport security and later tracked it to the home of Andy Ramirez, a TSA agent who denied stealing the iPad until the device was pinged and emitted an alarm sound from within his house. Although he was then forced to admit having possession of the stolen iPad, he blamed the theft on his wife. See his denial and ugly blame in the video:
Stealing “feels like being on drugs,” said Pythias Brown, a former TSA luggage screener at Newark airport, who was convicted for the theft of more than $800,000 worth of items over a four-year period. He described a “culture of indifference” at TSA, which “made stealing easy.”
On its blog, TSA calls 381 thieves “a few,” so perhaps they are not concerned.
See the rest of ABC’s report on TSA theft and a longer video. And keep your eyes on your belongings as you go through airport security.
