TSA asking passengers to doublecheck bags for firearms before entering Ohio airport checkpoints

OHIO — The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is asking passengers to double-check their bags for firearms before entering checkpoints at Ohio airports.

>>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: TSA saw record number of firearms found at checkpoints in Ohio airports last year

News Center 7 previously reported that the TSA is finding more guns at checkpoints in Ohio airports.

“It’s been growing, and I think we see pockets of the county where the issue is more exacerbated than others,” said Jessica Mayle, TSA Regional Spokesperson. “The issue is definitely handled in different areas of the country where gun ownership has increased.”

In Cleveland, TSA officers stopped 38 guns last year while agents in Columbus found 55 guns. That is way more than what both airports saw in 2022.

In Dayton, officers said they confiscated eight guns last year, which is down from 13 in 2022.

Mayle told News Center 7′s Kayla McDermott on Friday that she hopes that trends continue nationwide.

“We really want to emphasize, that even though most passengers will say, ‘Oh my gosh, I forgot I had the gun in my bag. I didn’t mean to do that,’ the consequences are the same,” she said. “It’s still incredibly dangerous and we want to get passengers in that mindset of checking your bag before you get to the airport, make sure you know what you are bringing to the checkpoint.”

>>Record number of guns found at airport checkpoints in 2023, TSA says

Mayle said that nationwide, 93% of guns found at checkpoints were loaded. She added that is “definitely the overwhelming trend.”

She emphasized that people who don’t carry a gun should feel very safe and that TSA officers are very good at their job.

“The technology is very good, and our officers are very well-trained,” said Mayle. “When you hear that number, it should tell you that these guns are getting stopped at the checkpoint.”

She said that when a gun is found at the checkpoint, all activity is stopped at the lane.

Mayle added that TSA agents don’t move the bag out of the X-ray belt until officers arrive.

“When you’re looking at an airport like Dayton, which is not very big,” she said. “It does not have a lot of lanes. It’s extremely disruptive to those passengers behind you because nobody can get through until we clear this incident.”

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Mayle said officers then arrive and have discretion.

They take possession of the weapon and can either make an arrest or cite the passenger. Officers can also decide if there will be any local criminal consequences.

From the TSA’s side, Mayle said the passenger would be also penalized. It could be a fine of hundreds or thousands of dollars depending on the circumstances. A pre-checked passenger could lose those benefits for up to five years.

She said there are several airports across the country where this is a daily occurrence but it’s not the case in Ohio.

Mayle added that Ohio is not even in the Top 10 of firearms found at checkpoints.

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