With some of the toughest gun laws in the country, New York City and New Jersey require equally tough screening at airports to ensure that passengers aren’t transporting firearms. According to a report by the New York Post, the Transportation Security Administration has been underreporting its gun statistics to paint a more rosy picture.
While the TSA has proudly announced that there were only 12 illegal guns seized at passenger checkpoints, that number seems to be quite low. According to a review of the Port Authority Police Departments records by the Post:
The agency’s records show:
There were 64 guns seized by PAPD cops inside or near area airports.
All but five were found inside terminals at the three airports.
Of all the airport gun seizures in 2014, at least 18 of those occurred at TSA-manned, pre-flight screening checkpoints.
This follows a previous embarrassment in which five people were charged for smuggling 173 guns from Atlanta to Brooklyn through the airports.
The Post claims the most glaring difference between the PAPD’s records and TSA reports came from La Guardia airport:
While the federal agency said only two illegal guns were seized at passenger-screening checkpoints in 2014, PAPD figures show 40 illegal guns were confiscated at the airport — with at least eight seized at the TSA’s passenger checkpoints.
A TSA spokesman said that PAPD stats were inaccurate and that the transportation agency has no reason to lie since they publicize all of their gun seizures on social media.
(Photo: Wikipedia)
