Napolitano, In Trenton, Defends Airport Patdowns And Imaging
TRENTON, NJ (CBS) -- Some travelers troubled over new airport security screenings are staging an "opt-out" boycott on the day before Thanksgiving, traditionally the busiest travel day of the year.
A Montgomery County, Pa. activist is organizing a nighttime rally on Wednesday at Philadelphia International Airport. But the nation's homeland security chief appears to be standing firm on the current procedures.
Speaking at the Trenton train station on Monday, Homeland Security secretary Janet Napolitano said that authorities do hear the complaints of air passengers upset over what some call embarrassing and unreasonable pat-downs and full-body scans.
Still, the DHS secretary says, things are unlikely to change anytime soon.
"Will they see a difference in the short term? I can't guarantee that," Napolitano said, "and the reason is because our number one goal is to make sure that passengers' security is protected and that passengers have confidence that everyone else in the plane has been adequately screened."
As we head into the busy holiday travel season, Napolitano says it is important to remember the attempted underwear bombing of a Detroit-bound flight last Christmas and last month's foiled cargo plot as reasons to get in line behind the TSA's methods.
Napolitano was in Trenton to talk up the expansion of New Jersey's "If you see something, say something" campaign, designed to encourage reporting of suspicious activity, and a nationwide tool for law enforcers to collect such reports.
Reported by Ian Bush, KYW Newsradio 1060.
