NEWARK, N.J. An internal audit by the Transportation Security Administration gave failing grades to agents at Newark Liberty Airport, adding to a long list of security concerns the New Jersey airport has dealt with. <\/p>\n
The recently released audit found that Newark TSA agents followed proper pat-down procedures just 16.7 percent of the time and confiscated banned items from carry-on luggage just 25 percent of the time, according to CBS New York affiliate WCBS. <\/p>\n
\"Obviously that's a big problem,\" David Katz of the Global Security Group told CBS correspondent Marcia Kramer Monday. \"Newark does seem to have more than its fair share of security issues.\" <\/p>\n
Last May, Homeland Security officials said Newark Liberty was the worst of six major airports when it came to security breaches. <\/p>\n
In June, TSA screeners were fired for sleeping on the job when they were supposed to be searching for explosives. <\/p>\n
And in August, more than 100 flights were cancelled after a passenger made it through a checkpoint without being screened properly. The airport was similarly shut down for over an hour in April after it was discovered a baby wasn't properly screened. <\/p>\n
Katz said he is worried the vulnerabilities exposed in the latest audit may be an open invitation to terrorists looking for a place to strike. <\/p>\n
\"If they see an area when perhaps we are not doing as good a job as we could, that's where they're going to go,\" he told WCBS. <\/p>\n
The TSA said the report was a \"snapshot in time\" and that it was working on improving its security. <\/p>\n
\"This is an agency that evaluates its workforce constantly with an eye toward continuous improvement,\" a TSA spokesman said. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
See original here:<\/p>\n
TSA audit finds major security flaws at Newark Liberty Airport<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" NEWARK, N.J. An internal audit by the Transportation Security Administration gave failing grades to agents at Newark Liberty Airport, adding to a long list of security concerns the New Jersey airport has dealt with. The recently released audit found that Newark TSA agents followed proper pat-down procedures just 16.7 percent of the time and confiscated banned items from carry-on luggage just 25 percent of the time, according to CBS New York affiliate WCBS. Continue reading