Source: https://www.tsa.gov/blog/2014/10/03/tsa-week-review-41-loaded-firearms-knife-neck-pillow-and-more
Timestamp: 2019-04-18 17:32:24+00:00

Document:
Loaded firearm discovered in carry-on bag at CLT.
46 Firearms Discovered This Week - Of the 46 firearms, 41 were loaded and 14 had rounds chambered.
Knife discovered inside a neck pillow at PHL.
A knife was discovered inside of a neck pillow at Philadelphia (PHL).
A sword cane was discovered at San Antonio (SAT).
A lipstick knife was discovered at Detroit (DTW).
A grenade belt buckle was discovered in a carry-on bag at Dickinson (DIK). It may look like a belt buckle to the naked eye, but it looks realistic on the X-ray monitor.
Four novelty grenades were discovered in a checked bag at Nome (OME).
Stun Guns - Fourteen stun guns were discovered this week at checkpoints across the nation: two were discovered at Las Vegas (LAS), two more at San Jose (SJC) and the remainder were discovered at: Atlanta (ATL), Bradley (BDL), Charleston (CHS), Charlottesville (CHO), Chicago Midway (MDW), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Denver (DEN), Laughlin (IFP), Minot (MOT) and Phoenix (PHX).
Every week I am so amazed by what TSA finds at airports. Thank you so much for the work that you do! Is it my imagination, or does that knife found in the neck pillow look like it is decorated in a middle eastern style? Wow! I can only imagine how much has been prevented by your vigilance. Keep up the good work!
THIS IS QUITE A DISGUSTING HAUL OF FIREARMS AND ILLEGAL CARRY-ON ITEMS. IT IS SAD TO SEE, BUT I AM SO GLAD YOU FOUND THEM AND STOPPED THEM.
Question asked in the 9/30 travel tips article was if TSA reuses or disposes of ETD swab patches after each use.
Seeing as how ebola in the US is a fact and patient #1 traveled by air and through a TSA checkpoint it would be a reponsible act for TSA to disclose its policy in this area.
So is TSA acting responsibly or is TSA acting in a less than responsible manner that will help spread a deadly illness among travelers?
"...A grenade belt buckle was discovered in a carry-on bag at Dickinson (DIK). It may look like a belt buckle to the naked eye, but it looks realistic on the X-ray monitor. "
Was it allowed to fly? If not, why not? It is a belt buckle to the naked eye so once the bag, and belt buckle, were inspected there should be no reason to prohibit the item.
So will any comments be approved, or at least not deleted, while West is on vacation?
I CANT BELIEVE THE "GOOD" GUNS PEOPLE TRY TO BRING ONBOARD!I WOULD USE AN ELCHEAPO!
How many weeks has it been since you last trumpeted something you found with the naked body scanners?
"The passenger with the knife in the pillow is a real pain in the neck!" Sorry Bob, I couldn't resist. I have to say I am completely astonished at the number of guns found on passengers trying to board an AIRCRAFT! For the most part the act seems willful! I am very curious about their reaction when their whatever caliber is pointed out as "Not being something we allow on airplanes". I know Big Bad Bob takes a substantial amount of heat for what to me, represents a very good faith attempt at transparency with respect to the DHS Mission and why airport security is a mandatory formation. I would like to know approximately how many of these cases result in convictions. It really seems as if the majority of the discoveries of weapons is not a case of "Oh I forgot that was in my computer case". Love ya Big Bad Bob.. keep up the good work.
why is there nothing about Ebola response posted from the TSA? Cannot believe this!
I wonder how many of the weapons that are brought aboard aircraft are done so by people with no confidence in the TSA and who are only wanting to protect themselves.
October 2, 2014 at 11:32 AM is the date stamp of the last comment posted to the TSA Blog.
4 full days and not a single comment has been approved and posted.
A very simple observation after reading this and looking at the disturbing photos of weapons...what is wrong with people? Ugh. Thanks for doing what you do.
Also, don't forget to say that some people might think it's OK to transport the remains of loved ones on flights without having them disturbed, but they'd be wrong... DEAD wrong! lol!
What happens when you are an agent and you find a gun in someone's luggage? Do you ask the passenger if it's a gun, do you just assume it is, do you confiscate it, do you arrest the person?
If I found a loaded gun in the bag of somebody who was 3 feet away from me (and KNEW they weren't supposed to bring one) I would be terrified.
Blotter team, the link in "Denver Veteran's" name violates blog policies.
Barbara said "...Wow! I can only imagine how much has been prevented by your vigilance. Keep up the good work!"
You can call it good work if you like, that is your opinion.
As for the prevention part of your statement.... by the TSA's own numbers as much as 7 in 10 items are missed and make it past the security check point.
That would indicate, to me at least, that the lack of anything happening on or in a commercial aircraft has very little to do with the TSA.
If you read back over the last several 'incidents' on aircraft you will find that none of them involved the TSA at any level and all of them were prevented by passenger or crew.
Oh, and for what it is worth, I miss the guy who is on vacation this week. It is very apparent he is away because so many of the approved posts so far are from the TSA Cheerleaders and amount to little more than "gosh the tsa is great and gee-wilickers how did we ever get along without them?"
You let another spam post through, West. Denver Veteran.
It seems as if all it take to get one's spam posted to the TSA Blog is a comment that is supportive of the TSA.
Apparently the TSA Blog Team is back on siesta.
When is TSA going to post photos of the confiscated items that are not as scary as guns but have nevertheless been confiscated by the thousands?
I'm talking about the confiscated bottles of water, bottles of shampoo, snowglobes, gel candles, creams, etc.
"I have to say I am completely astonished at the number of guns found on passengers trying to board an AIRCRAFT!...I know Big Bad Bob takes a substantial amount of heat for what to me, represents a very good faith attempt at transparency..."
Methinks you contradict yourself, Anonymous. If you read this blog regularly enough to conclude that Bob has made a 'good faith' effort and to decide that he takes a lot of heat, you would not be astonished by the number of discovered guns, since the number of guns has been rather constant since TSA started showcasing them weekly here.
Bob, as Social Media Analyst with the Office of Strategic Communications and Public Affairs would you classify the public's perception of TSA to be positive as reflected in various media?
I'm sure your unrelenting TSA work schedule will delay the posting and response to this message.
Perhaps a better question, why does TSA even have such a position as "Social Media Analyst? How does that contribute to improving the safety of mass transportation systems?
And if you bother to answer the above questions how about the one about how TSA uses (and reuses) the Ebola Transfer Device (ETD) swabs? Social media wants to know!
And with three bloggers on staff don't you guys have the skills to work out some sort of rotation plan so comments get posted on a somewhat regular basis, or is that above the skill level of TSA employees?
Rhode Island Photographer George Ross said "...what is wrong with people? Ugh."
You seem to be implying that people with pointy things, or guns, or parts of guns, or things that look like grenades but obviously aren't, that all those people are lesser people, criminals even. You make is seem like you have never had something in your bag that someone else would think is a problem, like you are so much better than those 'others' you go ugh about.
This is my first time visiting this blog but not my last. I can't believe what people are trying to sneak in their luggage. And what are these people doing? Thank goodness their plans got stopped.
Anon sez - "So will any comments be approved, or at least not deleted, while West is on vacation? "
I am fairly sure that some were moderated while I was out fishing, as a matter of fact, I know that some were moderated. It is nice to be missed though!
Anon sez - "I CANT BELIEVE THE "GOOD" GUNS PEOPLE TRY TO BRING ONBOARD!I WOULD USE AN ELCHEAPO!"
Gary Nelson Harper sez - "It really seems as if the majority of the discoveries of weapons is not a case of "Oh I forgot that was in my computer case". Love ya Big Bad Bob.. keep up the good work."
Firstly, thanks a ton for the nice comments!
Secondly, the vast majority of weapons discovered have been more a case of "I forgot that was in there" (or at least some variation thereof).
Anon sez - "why is there nothing about Ebola response posted from the TSA? Cannot believe this!"
The lack of posting is probably due to the relatively small amount of interaction by TSA in any form of screening for Ebola at this point. We have five airports that are currently conducting Ebola screenings in any way shape or form, so TSA is pretty much a non-entity in this process right now. As always, our participation may change in the near future or never depending upon policy changes by HQ and above. You can read more on the current process here.
George Ross sez - "Thanks for doing what you do."
We appreciate the kind words George!
Anon sez - "What happens when you are an agent and you find a gun in someone's luggage? Do you ask the passenger if it's a gun, do you just assume it is, do you confiscate it, do you arrest the person?
If I found a loaded gun in the bag of somebody who was 3 feet away from me (and KNEW they weren't supposed to bring one) I would be terrified."
I can't go into specifics, but the basic overview is, we notice the firearm, notify the Supe on scene, then contact the LEOs - usually in a fairly quick manner. There is no reason to be terrified of the gun itself as long as it is not being acted upon by an outside force (such as someone holding it, or physically manipulating it). As we have indicated on the blog before, the most common explanation we get for a firearm being in a bag is some form of "I forgot that was in there".
Anon sez - "Blotter team, the link in "Denver Veteran's" name violates blog policies."
As explained in another thread last week, it does not. As long as the comment is relevant, the links in the name are mostly inconsequential - the reader can choose to click upon the links embedded or simply ignore them.
SSSS sez - "Oh, and for what it is worth, I miss the guy who is on vacation this week."
Susan sez - "You let another spam post through, West. Denver Veteran."
As previously explained, the comment is allowed.
you should see a therapist about your irrational fear of ordinary objects. firearms are not 'disturbing' to most. what is disturbing is that number of tax dollars wasted in trying to prevent ordinary folks from exercising two Constitutionally protected rights - the one to travel freely, and the one to carry a firearm. pathetic.
"As previously explained, the comment is allowed."
Even when that comment is a copy and paste of comments by others?
It appears that the bloggers can't tell the difference between an honest comment and one submitted just to get their link on the site.
Two things wrong with your analysis Anon. 1. No-where in the constitution or in any subsequent case law is there a “right to travel freely” without regulation. It just is not there. 2. There have always, since the very establishment of our nation, been restrictions on where one may carry a firearm. This is no different.
wrong again, TSORon. freedom to travel has been addressed in SCOTUS cases regarding Constitutionality (Crandall v. Nevada; Saenz v. Roe, etc.), where it is viewed as protected by the "privileges and immunities" clause in Article IV, § 2, as well as inextricably tied to the freedoms of association and expression protected by the 1st Amendment of the Constitution; in US Code (49 U.S.C. § 40103"Sovereignty and use of airspace"). no one ever said anything about "without regulation", but anything that puts an excessibe burden without yielding an overwhelming "public good" is unConstitutional (or at least SCOTUS has always held as such thus far). restrictions on 2nd Amendment rights are similar - any regulation or restriction needs to be justified by an overwhleming "public good". TSA has never elucidated any risk-based reasoning for any of their policies, so you cannot show any overwhelming "public good" to burden or restrict our rights. if you ever show transparency and actually justify your actions, then perhaps we can talk.
TSORon pops in once again and demonstrates his complete lack of understanding.
The Constitution does not grant rights to the people, it limits federal government. Even if TSORon can't grasp that concept the 9th Amendment should be easy enough to understand.
TSORon is TSOWrong yet again.
Freedom to travel has been addressed in SCOTUS cases regarding Constitutionality (Crandall v. Nevada; Saenz v. Roe, etc.), where it is viewed as protected by the "privileges and immunities" clause in Article IV, § 2, as well as inextricably tied to the freedoms of association and expression protected by the 1st Amendment of the Constitution; in US Code (49 U.S.C. § 40103"Sovereignty and use of airspace"). no one ever said anything about "without regulation", but anything that puts an excessibe burden without yielding an overwhelming "public good" is unConstitutional (or at least SCOTUS has always held as such thus far). restrictions on 2nd Amendment rights are similar - any regulation or restriction needs to be justified by an overwhleming "public good"

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