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by: Amy Canfield - Wednesday, June 5, 2013

TSA Administrator John Pistole has thrown in the towel on his proposal to allow airline passengers to carry on knives with blades that are 2.36 inches or less.

Pistole’s plan, announced in March, was for those small knives to be allowed as of April 25. His proposed rule change would also  have allowed passengers to carry on hockey sticks, golf clubs and billiard cues, which had since been disallowed. After he was confronted with outcries from the Flight Attendants Union Coalition, representing 90,000 members, and a public petition with 400,000 signatures and other protests, he delayed the rule change, then said he was reconsidering.

Well, he has.

"After extensive engagement with the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, law enforcement officials, passenger advocates and other important stakeholders, TSA will continue to enforce the current prohibited items list," Pistole said in a news report from Reuters.

Pistole had previously defended the rule changes, saying the TSA needed to prioritize threats, and that its time was best spent looking for more lethal weapons such as explosive devices.

The flight attendants union praised Pistole for hearing their concerns and reversing his position.

What do you think?

 

by: Amy Canfield - Monday, June 3, 2013

Lawmakers in Illinois, the last state in the nation not to have some form of concealed-carry law, have approved legislation to set up rules on who can carry concealed guns and where they can be carried.

A federal appeals court overturned the state's ban in December and gave lawmakers until June 9 to come up with regulations to allow it, according to a report in the Chicago Tribune.

Under the proposal, concealed weapons would be banned from numerous sites, such as CTA, Metra buses and trains, casinos, government buildings and stadiums.

Applicants will be able to apply for a five-year permit. Law enforcement could object, and an applicant then could appeal to a seven-member board.

A series of provisions were designed to prevent people with mental health problems from getting guns.

by: Amy Canfield - Wednesday, May 29, 2013

TSA Administrator John Pistole is so far sticking by, no pun intended, his decision to allow knives with retractable blades measuring less than 2.36 inches and narrower than a half-inch as carry-on items aboard U.S. commercial air flights. The change would bring the United States in line with international rules.

Confronted with outcries from the Flight Attendants Union Coalition, representing 90,000 members, a petition with 400,000 signatures and other protests, Pistole says he is still considering, but not ready to concede.

Why? Because he wants the TSA to be able to focus more on IEDs instead of screening for pocket knives and such.

"With hardened cockpit doors, better identification of individual passengers against terrorist watch lists, and the demonstrated willingness of passengers to intervene to assist flight crew during a security incident, it is the judgment of many security experts worldwide, a judgment with which I agree, that a small pocket knife is simply not going to result in the catastrophic failure of an aircraft," he said at an airport security conference this week in Saudi Arabia.

The knife rule change was supposed to take effect in April, but was postponed after the outcry.

The International Civil Aviation Organization in 2010 decided to allow small knives on board. "Since that global change, and excluding U.S. originating passengers, there have been more than 5 billion commercial airline passengers worldwide allowed to carry these knives," reported Pistole, in a report from Government Security News.  "We are unaware of any report of a security incident aboard any commercial aircraft worldwide involving these items."

Meanwhile, the TSA reported that it surpassed its record of firearm seizures at airport security checkpoints this week. Sixty-five guns were found, 54 of which were loaded, including a .22-caliber gun strapped to passenger's prosthetic leg in Salt Lake City.

by: Amy Canfield - Monday, May 20, 2013

You can adopt a stretch of highway in your home state, adopt a star in the heavens, adopt a heifer or goat in a Third World county, and, now, you can adopt a municipal surveillance camera. At least you can in Lancaster, Pa.

The Lancaster Community Safety Coalition is launching an “Adopt-A-Camera” campaign to pay for 161 surveillance cameras around the city. For $1,000, a pop, residents can sponsor a camera of their choosing in Lancaster, according to a report on LancasterOnline. The money raised will be put toward the cost of maintaining the cameras and monitoring their video feeds.

The idea came from LCSC’s volunteers, managing director Wes Farmer said in the news report.

The fact that cameras were used to identify the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings shows “how Lancastrians should feel safer because of LCSC’s video evidence project,” said LCSC coalition resource development chairman D.J. Risk said

One-third of the non-profit coalition's budget is funded through donations. Another third is funded by grants obtained by city government and the final third comes from a grant provided by the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office, the news report said.

Those who adopt a camera will have their names listed on the coalition’s website and will receive an annual report showing how their camera was used, Farmer said.

It'll be interesting to see how this goes and if the idea takes off in other communities.

by: Amy Canfield - Friday, May 3, 2013

The trial of three protesters, including an elderly nun, who allegedly broke into the Y-12 nuclear weapons site in Tennessee last summer, has been reassigned to a federal judge in Kentucky, according to knoxnews.com.

U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Phillips was supposed to preside at the trial, scheduled for May 7. Phillips, however, was planning to retire. A filing last week indicated the case had been reassigned to a judge with the Eastern District of Kentucky. It has not been disclosed whether the current trial date still stands.

Plowshares protesters Sister Megan Rice, Greg Boertje-Obed and Michael Walli each face three felony charges related to the break-in and defacing of government facilities at the Oak Ridge site.

Meanwhile, G4S Government Solutions, which was on duty at Y-12 when the breach occurred, said it is ready to move past the "punishment stage and work to restore its image," according to Frank Munger's Atomic City Underground.

G4S lost its security contract following the breach and more recently lost its other major Department of Energy contract in Oak Ridge (for protective force services at ORNL, East Tennessee Technology Park and the Federal Building), Munger's report said.

"A lesson for everyone in all aspects of both physical and protective force security is what we now internally refer to as the 20/20 rule," President and CEO Paul Donahue said in a statement. "Within 20 minutes, 20 million hours of exceptional protective force support at Y-12 was wiped away."

Last week, G4S security officers received a British Security Industry Association's Award for Best Regional Team (South West) for their work at the Hinkley Point C nuclear building site in Somerset. The regional award makes G4S eligible for a national award. G4S has won six BSIA regional awards this year, according to a prepared statement.

by: Amy Canfield - Wednesday, April 3, 2013

TELL THE TSA TO KEEP KNIVES OUT OF THE CABIN. That's the message (caps included) from the Coalition of Flight Attendant Unions, representing 90,000 members, on its www.NoKnivesOnPlanes.com website.

The group this week has been leafleting at airports to get passengers on their side in opposition to the TSA's announcement last month that it will allow knives with retractable blades less than 2.36 inches and narrower than a half-inch to be carried upon planes as of April 25. The TSA will also allow on board previously banned items such as golf clubs and lacrosse sticks.

The coalition's leaflets, which encourage passengers to sign its online petition, have been distributed at major airports and will continue to be handed out this week.

by: Amy Canfield - Monday, April 1, 2013

Employees and visitors entering three federal buildings in Boston last week were no doubt surprised to learn that for the first time in years they needn't take off their shoes, coats or belts to pass through security screening.

It happened "without any fanfare or news conferences," according to a report from WGBH. What did happen was that the Federal Protective Service, which is responsible for protecting employees, contractors and visitors at federal facilities, decided, after studying the Boston sites, to use the Thomas P. O'Neill Building, John F. Kennedy Federal Building and John W. McCormack Post Office and Courthouse in a pilot project that could streamline and standardize similar screening processes nationwide.

The O'Neill building houses Homeland Security, Secret Service, Social Security and the Deparments of Justice, Labor, Agriculture, Commerce, Housing, Treasury and Small Business.

"It has not become official yet, but it is an option being tested, " Jacqueline Yost, chief public affairs for FPS, told WGBH.  "We are continually assessing our process ... to make sure we continue to be as efficient as possible while securing federal facilities, employees and guests."

by: Amy Canfield - Monday, March 25, 2013

FEMA is looking for a few good young people. Emphasis on young.

If you know a 12- to 17-year-old "who makes a difference in your community's disaster preparedness" you can nominate him or her to become a part of the National Youth Preparedness Council. Students can also nominate themselves.

The first Youth Preparedness Council was announced last July. The council supports FEMA's emphasis on and dedication to involving the whole community in preparedness related activities.

"Engaging youth is an integral step in preparing the nation for all hazards," FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said in a prepared statement. "Youth have a unique ability to influence their peers and families to be more resilient, and children play an important role in disaster preparedness, during and after a crisis."

Those selected for the council will have the opportunity to "voice their opinions, experiences, ideas and solutions to help strengthen the nation's resiliency for all types of disasters," FEMA said. Council members will represent the youth perspective on emergency preparedness and take information back to their communities. Research shows, FEMA says, that youth who are trained in preparedness are more resilient in actual disasters; they are highly effective messengers for reaching and influencing their parents and other adults; and youth engaged today will ensure a future generation of prepared adults.

Those selected, along with one of their parents or guardians, will get an expense-paid trip to attend the Youth Preparedness Council Summit this summer.

Sounds like an excellent opportunity for civic/security-minded tweens and teens. For more information, including eligibility requirements and nomination forms, go here.

The deadline is April 19.
 

by: Amy Canfield - Friday, March 15, 2013

Fourteen years ago, a survey of gun owners found that most respondents cited hunting as their main reason for owning a weapon. This year, the Pew Research Center finds, the vast majority of owners say they own a gun because it makes them feel safer.

The 1999 survey said 49 percent of gun owners cited hunting as their primary reason for owning a gun, followed by protection, 26 percent. Sport shooting, collections and other categories made up for the rest.

In Pew's February 2013 survey of 1,504 adults, hunting and protection as reasons have changed places. Protection was cited by 48 percent of the respondents; hunting, 32 percent.

The latest survey also asked why non-gun owners don't want to have one in their homes; opinions on stricter gun control laws; the effectiveness of stricter gun control laws; whether states should be able to ignore federal gun laws; if stricter laws would reduce the number of mass shootings; and more. It looks as partisan differences as well.

Lots of good information. You can read all of the results here.

 

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by: Amy Canfield - Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Flight attendants aren't happy with John Pistole of the Transportation Security Administration. The TSA administrator announced this week that airline passengers soon will be allowed to carry on small pocket knives, golf clubs (two each), ski poles, billiard cues, toy baseball bats and hockey and lacrosse sticks.

The Flight Attendants Union Coalition, which represents 90,000 flight attendants, called the decision "outrageous and shortsighted, and asked Pistole to reconsider," according to a news report in the Philadelphia Inquirer. American Airlines' flight attendants union, with 16,000 members, agreed that knives of any kind should not be allowed on board.

Knives with retractable blades measuring less than 2.36 inches and narrower than a half-inch and the aforementioned athletic gear will be allowed as of April 25, bringing the United States in line with international rules.

"We believe that these proposed changes will further endanger the lives of all flight attendants and the passengers we work so hard to keep safe and secure," FAUC said, according to the news report.

The TSA said it was an "intelligence-based, risk-based decision." The biggest threat to travellers is explosives, not pocket knives or sports equipment, TSA spokesman David Castelveter told the Inquirer.

 

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