Handguns Stolen from Airport Baggaqe...Including San Antonio

[ELB]

For your reading...uh...pleasure...

http://www.kirotv.com/airports/13986486/detail.html

Apparently part of a larger series on airport baggage theft you can see here:

http://www.kirotv.com/airports/index.html

You can look up theft reports for US airports from this report. I haven't yet found what period of time this database covers.

I found this via:

http://www.saysuncle.com/archives/2007/ ... lookout-4/

and

http://taxingtennessee.blogspot.com/200 ... -from.html

I see some merit in disassembling the pistol to some degree, and separating parts. Will think on that. Would hate to get call from the cops: "We found your stolen pistol, but you ain't getting it back cuz it was used in a gang (or any other kind of) shooting."

I am curious tho...the baggage handler was caught stealing the pistol. Does he go thru all luggage, looking for targets of opportunity, or is he clued in by someone as to which bag has "good stuff" in it...?

Any act of theft is a problem of course, but in the case of guns, I wonder how many guns actually go through an airport, versus how many stolen?

elb

[Mithras61]

Well, I did a little bit of searching in the database that is available from your second link. It looks to me like they randomly open luggage and steal anything they think might be of some value, and it may be anything from medications to alchohol to jewelry or computers. Unless there's a bigger scam going on, it sounds to me like it is just another crime of opportunity by random criminals.

You would think that the screening of personnel with access to secured areas and unsupervised access to customers' goods would be more intensive, but I guess it's cheaper to just pay off the insurance claims than to hire people who check out clean.

There was a case recently in Houston at Geo. Bush Intercontinental where illegals were working as baggage handlers & stealing whole suitcases. I seem to recall they caught the crooks with something like 113 suitcases in their posession, and they had several hundred other thefts that were attributed to the team doing that. I can see where a number of firearms could have easily been in the haul they made.

[HighVelocity]

This is why I do not take a "nice" gun with me when I travel. Reliable and effective yes, expensive, no, irreplaceable, no.

[Lucky45]

I don't know what the procedure is with firearms, but the way with regular luggage is that you can't lock it when you check it in at the ticket counter. They have to have access in the "HIGH SECURED" area with TSA officials before it gets on a plane where they scan it etc. If it is locked, they will cut the locks off. That was one of the changes they made since TSA was formed. I get my luggage back all rummaged through all the time. Just be glad you don't travel through Central and South American countries. When I came back from vacation in August through Miami, they had a lady whose suitcases were plastic wrapped fully. Made me smile.

[ELB]

I just trolled through the reports for San Antonio Airport, and although the article I linked to says SAT had two handgun thefts, none are listed in the database set up by KIRO. There are, however, alot of thefts of "Other," (including the most expensive theft, $9700), so I suppose the handguns could be in the "Other" category. I am wondering what a $9700 "Other" could be; somebody carrying gold bullion? Some fancy technical instrument I would guess.

As far as TSA requiring suit case to be unlocked -- I have had exactly the opposite experience at SAT and other airports. Usually they want me to lock it before it goes to Xray. Sometimes I stood around while they X-rayed the bag with my gun it, then they wanted me to ziptie (which I use instead of metal locks) the bag.

I do believe there is a huge vulnerability with access to planes and baggage in the areas between the public passenger area and plane itself. Keep seeing too many stories about baggage handlers, caterers, and whatnot getting caught doing stuff, and not having good background checks).

elb

[sbb]

I have taken a few trips within and out of the US with my firearms. You are able to lock your luggage. However, unless the locks are TSA type locks ( TSA officials able to unlock with their master key) you do have the possibility of getting you lock cut off. On return from a dove hunt in Argentina we had a layover in Santiago where the Federalies made us go to the tarmac and open our gun cases for inspection and "payment of taxes" No issues with any other trips. We did have rods stolen on a trip to Belize for bonefish.

[Keith B]

One fix for this is let us carry while flying. We can back-up the air marshals!

[CompVest]

Or maybe the Air Marshals can back us up!

[Keith B]

Or maybe the Air Marshals can back us up!

+1 CompVest, I like that better!

[cbr600]

There are, however, alot of thefts of "Other," (including the most expensive theft, $9700), so I suppose the handguns could be in the "Other" category. I am wondering what a $9700 "Other" could be; somebody carrying gold bullion? Some fancy technical instrument I would guess.

I've heard reports of thieves targeting high-end photographic equipment which they sell on eBay. I think airlines need to be held responsible for checked baggage. Until then, I always buy excess value insurance if my baggage contains anything other than clothing and toiletries.

[Houston1944]

The last time I carried firearms through an airport I arrived with them in a locked metal case. They ask me to unlock it to confirm they were not loaded, I opened the case they looked at them and had me close and lock the case. No one ever touched my firearms. It was no big deal to anyone. Of course I was flying out of Houston which is probably much easier than flying out of "non-gun" friendly states.

I will be flying soon with my 44mag and 454 casull. If they get stolen and are used in a drive by it will be easy to spot them. Just look for the car with the windows blown out and a group of deaf gangbangers inside.

[Lucky45]

As far as TSA requiring suit case to be unlocked -- I have had exactly the opposite experience at SAT and other airports. Usually they want me to lock it before it goes to Xray. Sometimes I stood around while they X-rayed the bag with my gun it, then they wanted me to ziptie (which I use instead of metal locks) the bag.
elb

I am talking about checked luggage that goes into the cargo hold of the airplane, not carry-on where you go through screening checkpoint and take on board. Checked luggage has to be unlocked when the ticketing agent weighs it and takes it from you. Otherwise they cut the locks in the back area when they put them on the conveyor belt.

[ELB]

I did some more prowling around the KIRO report and found an answer to one of my ??s.

The slide show about theft statistics states that when KIRO examined the TSA database on thefts, it showed no firearm thefts. However KIRO claims to have independently found at least 40 cases of firearms thefts from airline baggage. I think this covers the period Feb 03 to Feb 06.

They also note it took them about more than 100 requests over the course of nearly a year to get the TSA to provide the database info to them.

KIRO notes that New Orleans airport had by far the greatest of thefts, but for some reason related to Katrina that I don't understand, they removed it from their version of the database.

There is video report on the KIRO website, but I have dialup, and it is too painful to watch on my 'puter. There's probably a lot more info there.

elb

[barres]

As far as TSA requiring suit case to be unlocked -- I have had exactly the opposite experience at SAT and other airports. Usually they want me to lock it before it goes to Xray. Sometimes I stood around while they X-rayed the bag with my gun it, then they wanted me to ziptie (which I use instead of metal locks) the bag.
elb

I am talking about checked luggage that goes into the cargo hold of the airplane, not carry-on where you go through screening checkpoint and take on board. Checked luggage has to be unlocked when the ticketing agent weighs it and takes it from you. Otherwise they cut the locks in the back area when they put them on the conveyor belt.

Not all airports do it that way. The only time I flew with a pistol out of Houston (Bush IAH) the ticket agent escorted me to the x-ray station, where I was prepared to show the pistol to be unloaded. They asked me if everything was secured, and I said no. They told me to lock everything up, which I did, and they sent it on through the x-ray. Flying back from El Paso, I had to give my suitcase (unlocked and with pistol case unlocked) to the ticket agent who took it back to the TSA screeners. I never saw that suitcase again until I got back to Houston. I was nervous about whether or not I would have my CCW when I landed, but it was safe and sound in my suitcase.

[ELB]

Lucky45 wrote:

I am talking about checked luggage that goes into the cargo hold of the airplane, not carry-on where you go through screening checkpoint and take on board.

So am I. This is my checked bag with unloaded gun in it. Maybe it's different with luggage that has a gun and they know it just got X-rayed...but all the baggage was going thru the same X-ray. I am flying again on Thursday, see how it goes this time. Would not be surprised if procedures vary from airport to airport, and time-to-time at the same airport.

elb