Unscreened baby causes security lock down

April 30th, 2012

A terminal at Newark Liberty International Airport was shut down for over an hour Friday after officials discovered that a baby hadn't been properly screened, Transportation Security Administration officials said.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, described the incident as a security breach that occurred at around 1:15 p.m. at a security checkpoint. Terminal C was evacuated and passengers had to go through security screening again.

TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said a mother and baby went through a metal detector when the machine sounded an alarm. The mother handed the child to the father, who had already been screened. The mother was cleared, but the baby hadn't been properly screened. The parents and baby left the checkpoint and headed to their gate, Farbstein said.

TSA officers searched for the family in the secure area of the terminal and notified Port Authority police as per protocol, but they emphasized that it was a low-risk situation, Farbstein said.

A TSA official said they had explained the circumstances of the breach to the Port Authority police and recommended against evacuating the terminal since it was a low-risk situation.

Steve Coleman, a Port Authority spokesman, said that it took the TSA more than 30 minutes to notify police of the lapse and that officers "took immediate action to make sure the breach did not endanger passengers or our facility."

"We're not going to second-guess a real-time decision made by our police department to err on the side of caution and protect passenger safety," he said.

The terminal and checkpoint were closed from 1:30 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.

Passenger Jennifer Pallanich said she was on a Houston-bound flight scheduled to depart at about 2 p.m. and boarding had been completed, but because of the breach, the passengers had to evacuate and go through security screening again.

-AP

Photo: Reuters

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User Comments

Remember 9/11? Do not forget it!

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 05/01/2012 - 23:44.

Do you remember 9/11? This was a result of poor security! At first when reading the article I felt shocked and angry that the US shut down a terminal just because of a baby, but in actual fact that baby could have had a bomb, drugs or whatever it could have had on it. There are no second chances when a aeroplane explodes or is hijacked and flown into buildings. This earth holds sick minded people and these people need our help and being stopped and searched by security at an airport, is the best any human can do. The security is there for your own safety. Don't take a baby for granted because that baby has at least a adult with him/her and that adult/s could be have planted the goods on the baby to get through security.

Maybe harsh, maybe not

Submitted by Better safe than sorry on Tue, 05/01/2012 - 10:37.

You would be surprised how many drug trafficers make it through our customs because of our lack of security, and lets face it you can easily hide drugs etc. in a babies nappy etc.. There is some sickos in the world. So you know what - I say good on them, there was once this story in the news of this couple who used a baby's body to traffic drugs, when the air stewardess thought they will do them a favour and take care of the baby because they looked so uncomfortable with the baby between them whilst they where sleeping, she discovered the baby was ice cold and dead, all internal oragns was removed and the body was stuffed with drugs, so babies have been used as scapecoats.

I am glad I am not an

Submitted by Corsa on Tue, 05/01/2012 - 07:28.

I am glad I am not an American. Yes security needs to be strict but is a bit overboard. I once made the mistake by not removing my cell phone when being screened and yet when I was searched it was discovered. It was put trough the machines for screening and came out clean and after apologising for my mistake I was allowed to pass trough. The Americans alwyas tries to be clever then it back fires. Let them come and learn from the S.A. customs people on how to treat a traveller because the few times I travelled internationally or returning I have been treated fairly and they made feel welcome when returning home.

The S.A. customs people are the bets and they are always willing to help.

THANK YOU

Baby not Screened

Submitted by Helio on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 16:10.

All that can be said....Americans have become the a-holes of the human race!

US Security

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 15:32.

Having just returned from the U.S. on Friday morning, I have to add my two cents worth. The security in the U.S. has gone into overkill. Really, they need to let it go a little. No jackets, belts, shoes, full body scanners etc, etc - the list is endless, is really taking it way too far. And having to put items such as laptops, cameras and video camera's a certain way it just plain paranoia. The only airport where my husband and I felt the security was not too bad was McCarran International in Las Vegas. And let me not even get into the rudeness and impolite manner of the TSA officials, they take the cake. But alas, it is not only the security at the airports that made our blood boil - it was the security we had to go through to go to the top of the Rockefeller Centre, Empire State and Statue of Liberty where we were even required to remove our watches!!! And let me tell you that all the security in the world is not going to keep you safe. Not the way the planes fly up and down Manhattan. But I think I had an epiphany standing in the security line for the Statue of Liberty. I have decided that all the U.S. security is just a means of providing employment because they do have a sizeable number of officials.