Shooting at Dallas Love Field Airport raises more security questions
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Monday's incident at Dallas Love Field Airport raises questions about whether TSA security checkpoints should be placed at the front entrance of all airports.
Putting a metal detector at the entrance, would only create crowds of people outside that would be just as at risk as those here inside the public ticketing and baggage claim areas, according to an expert.
But there are ways you can make your trip to the airport safer.
Ortia Watson passed through the terminal at Love Field to board a flight with a different frame of mind Tuesday after the violent episode that played out in front of terrified passengers.
"It's bad enough with COVID, so that just adds on to your heightened anxiety or whatever else you may have," Watson said.
The police take down of a woman who started firing a gun showed how airport terminal security should work, according to Dr. Sheldon Jacobson.
"Mitigation response was phenomenally good and you have to commend TSA as well as law-enforcement for acting as decisively as they did," Jacobson said.
Jacobson contributed to the development of TSA's PreCheck program and has researched aviation security for 25 years.
"Before you go through security is the riskiest part of the airport," Jacobson continued.
Violence in at airport terminals is not rare.
A man was shot by officers at Love Field in 2016 when he attacked people outside a baggage claim with a large rock.
The next year, five people were killed when a man opened fire in Fort Lauderdale's airport, also in the baggage claim area.
Jacobson offered us some suggestions for staying safe.
"One is don't bring a lot of baggage because it slows you down," Jacobson said. "Once you got your ticket and your boarding pass all taken care of, go through security get to the secure side of the airport, it is much safer there."
Jacobson also saidTSA is on track to seize a record number of firearms in carry on bags at security checkpoints, averaging 17 a day.
In fact, TSA recently warned about how many more weapons it's detecting at Austin's airport and posted a photo of one of the seized handguns.
Because of the nature of air travel and existing airport design, experts say there's not much more law enforcement can do to harden airports.
So everyone has to accept responsibility for their own safety.
