Security & Safety Briefs - Nov. 24 - Nov. 30
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The Latest Headlines:
- TSA May Allow Some Sharp Items on Flights
- NTSB Wants Better Rail-Safety Switches
- Cargo Theft Costs Reportedly Run Into Billions
- President Touts Immigration Policy
- NTSB Wants Better Rail-Safety Switches
TSA May Allow Some Sharp Items on Flights
The Transportation Security Administration may allow airline passengers to bring sharp items in carry-on bags because the items no longer pose the greatest threat to airline security, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.TSA Director Edmund “Kip” Hawley plans to announce changes Friday that would allow scissors less than four inches long and tools, such as screwdrivers, less than seven inches long, onto planes, the paper said, citing sources familiar with the plans.
Department of Homeland Security officials are increasingly concerned about airports' vulnerability to suicide bomb attacks, the Post said, and TSA officials now want screeners to spend more of their time looking for improvised explosive devices rather than sharp objects. TSA is part of DHS. Transport Topics
NTSB Wants Better Rail-Safety Switches
To prevent train wrecks like a January crash in South Carolina that killed nine and forced thousands from their homes, railroads should thousands of switches with more effective safety devices for their employees, according to a new National Transportation Safety Board report, the New York Times reported Wednesday.n the Graniteville, S.C., wreck, a crew put a train on a siding at the end of the work day and left a switch aligned so that the next train through also went into the siding. The collision punctured a chlorine tank car, killing nine people, the Times said.
The tracks were “dark,” meaning they had no electronic signals that would have allowed a dispatcher to realize that the first crew had forgotten to reset the switch. About 40% of the rail network is dark, the paper reported.
A strobe light like those carried on some school buses, or a radio device that sent signals to beepers or cell phones, might have reminded the crew to reset the switch when leaving the train for the night, investigators said, the Times reported. Transport Topics
Cargo Theft Costs Reportedly Run Into Billions
The freight industry and the FBI estimate $10 billion to $15 billion in goods are stolen from cargo docks, warehouses and truck lots in the United States annually, the each year, the Chicago Tribune reported Tuesday.Security experts and law enforcement officials estimate that cargo theft could add as much as 20% to the cost of electronic goods and 5% to some clothing items, the paper said.
Sometimes the contents of entire cargo containers show up in stores far from where they're stolen or are sold online, the Tribune reported.
The Chicago region is a hub for cargo theft, but since 9/11, investigators say they have fewer resources to chase after cargo thieves, the paper said. Transport Topics
President Touts Immigration Policy
President Bush said Monday that he wants to crack down on illegal immigration but also give out more visas to foreigners with jobs, as part of his immigration strategy, the Associated Press reported.Flanked by Customs and Border Protection helicopters and signs that said “Protecting America's Borders,” the president said in a speech in Tucson, Ariz., that “the American people should not have to choose between a welcoming society and a lawful society. We can have both at the same time.”
The immigration issue has divided lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) said he will bring up the issue early next year and the House hopes to tackle border security measures before adjourning for the year, AP reported. Transport Topics
