Cbicago, IL
Trl.ulII
C~ICl8'

Mil Arll
~fidiIJ

0122,882
NOV 16. <:lee I

1'11'" • ~II III

SECURITY:

I ' ' ' ' • " . . . " . " • • ,.' ,.,

ON CAPITOL HILL

Thursday, individual airports
hired by airlinea, havebeen crit.
would be allowed to opt out of
icized for decades in federaJ au.
COVlll'age by the federal securlty
Pending
government
approval,
United
Airlines
will
start
installing
advanced
Taser
stun
guns
in
the
cockpits
dits for missing weapons when
fOrce after three years. Those
of
all
its
planes.
The
weapon
fires
an
electronic
dlarge
that
disables
an
attacker
fof
at
least
five
seconds.
they were tested. Airport secu.
airports then could contract
would
be
trainee;!
to
use
the
guns,
which
would
be
stored
in
a
coded
lockbox
in
the
cockpit.
Pilots
rity screeners have suffered
with a private aecurlty finn, alfrom low ~ low morale, poor
thongb. each amongement THE ADVANCmTASat STUN GUN
trainJng and high ttlrnoveI:
would have to be approved by
fin
and
r
SldiIty:
Arms
unit
and
activates
Air
cartridge:
launches
two
probes
using
The Air Transport Associthe Transportation Depart_
blllde
I I built-in laser sight.
ment. '
compressed nitrogen. Once fired, a new
ation, which tepa sants major
sight.
cartridge must be loaded in order to fire again. air caniers, witbh&ldJudgment
In the interim, \111 to five air·
on the congressional agreement
ports would be allowed to retain
unW it sees the fi.lll packsge.
private contractors as security
though Mesa Airlinea an- screeners under federaJ. superATA spokesman Wcbael Was0
....
nounced three weeks ago that it vision aspart ofapilotprogram. memory and
com said the group has conwooIddoso.
cerns about the fee on passen.
clmIpOrt
"United and its pilots believe
gers' tidtets that would pay Cor
Stores
the
Tasers are an important addithe new security system. TIle
Republican and Democratic
Laser light:
Eled:rital wilti:
Weight: 18 ox.
dateand
tion toenhanced cockpit securi. COllgl'esSionalleaders predicted
Improvementll would be fi·
Transmit eleroical
Batteries: Runs
tJ;B said Andrew Studdart. chleC overwhelming support when time of evert
nanced. by an ticket tax of $2liO
aiming.
to
target.
pulses
offeight
AA
dischafge.
operating oft'icer and ~tive the measure'comes to a vote,
perflJghtsegment, IIPtoamaxivice president of UnJted, based scheduled for Friday In both
mum oC$5petooe-vaytrip.
in Elk Grove TownshJp, Dl. chambers. And, evenasnegotl&- HOW'!TWORKS
Traw:1ers weigh in
"Tasers will ineapa(:itate an at- tm:s continued to WOl'k out the
tacker without endangering the details, President Bt18b an- Q~pilotusesthe
Passengers Interviewed at
When the trigger is
Q The top dart hits the attlcker where the gun O'Hare
.,~- "
AJrport were generally
pulled. a pair of quarter-inch is pointed. The other dart is ~imed slightly
nounced. that he would sign the laser sight to aim the
The pistol-like devJces, which IIllIlI8Ure into law when ureach- 5tUn~n.
supPortive of the federal aecuridarts trailing wires shoot
lower.
The darts do not have to
would be kept inalockbox In the ~hJm.
ty sc:reeners envisbned under
from the gun.
penetrate
flesh
tQ work.
cockpit, fire a wired dart that
the agreement.
Traneportation
Secretary
can incapacitatea person for\1ll Norman MlDeta lauded the
~I think it's a lPOd. thing;'
said Pete Higgins, of Harris.
package as ~a maJor mllestone
Th.e compromise hammered in the creation of a consistent,
burg, Pa., who was in Chicago
out by lawmakers, meanwhile, high~~ nationwide aviafor a flMess trade show: ~rm for
fiw-second. 26-wanshot of
After firing, the pilot
endsapolitical jmpassethathas tion securtty fon:e. ~
privatization. but tlli is d1trer·
electricity
autom"tlcally
hits
the
attac:ker,
can
touch
the
front
of
the
dogged. efforts to improve airent, because in privatlzation
House Republicans said the
musdes
and
overwhelming
contracting
guntotheattacke(s
body
port secur1ty in the walrB of the provisions
you have to earn I proflt. To
allow
airports
the
central
nervous
system.
The
attacker
Sept. II terrorist attacks.
and pull the trigger to
learn this job [security screenenough flexibility til abandon a
should
collapse.
Ing] you have to pay them a dedeliver a new shock.
8UVBl1UDent... d m1 n l stered secur-.aJizing WlIIbrs
cent wage. If govel1lDleIlt runs
rity system if It pI'OVed ineffecRange:21_
~>
The most contentlous provi_ tive, while Democratll said they
it, Itwouldbeabletllpayhi8her
sion has been turning over air- consJdered the option a mini.
21..footrange
saIaries.
port screening responsibilities mal conceasion.
Under the qreemm.t negotia.
compares with the cabin of
__
to a new federal aecurlty force,
tors have worked mt:, the federHouse Speaker Dennis Has- theBoeing 737-300.
which will requJre putting tart (R-Dl) said: "In the end,
ai go~BlnmentwJll taboverthe
about 28,000 people on the gov_ we're goiD( to see what workB Soutce: Unil1ld AlrIlnes. T__ lnt=IIlianaI
contracts with private security
CIIic:>¢
Tti:IuneIOovid~.n<1
CJIario>Gor:¥
ernment payroll within a year beat. WB'regoingtoseewhetber
companies as soon !IS possible
Senate and House Democrats theprivatesectorcan bestdellv- Cers to use Private contractors
but will have no ~ than
CongressioDaJ.
leaders
have
lJUPI)Orted the step, but House er this lUIder Cederal S\1III!I"Viman was caught this month three months to do a::o.
RBpnbllrans fought It as an uu- sion or you have to have federal for airport Sf!CIlritx the city's been onder increasing pressure with seven knives and a stun
aviatiml commJssioner de- to moveforward withalrportse- gun that aiIport screeners at
wammted expansion of the fed·
TriburJestqffreporl;ilr$ John HUclJned to say whether the city curity lmP1"OWlI1eDtS, espedal_ O'Hare Airport missed.
kevttch, Rogers Hbrthington,
Altbough Chicago Mayor would apply to include O'Hare
on! ""'"""""'"
Security screenen, who are Gary Washburn andShta KiJPO$
Undertbe l\It'llBlIllInt reached. R1chard Daley has said he pre- or MJdway in the pilotprogram. Iy after a SIlfies of security lapses. Most notabl:lt a Nepalese prov1ded by Private contractors amtrlbuJal wthis f"e?Orl..

United seeks to arm pilots with stun guns

Screeners
would be

Lawmakers reach
deal on air security ~,~~~
By Mike Doming
Washlngton BUrNU

WASHINGTON ~ Ending a
long fight between Republicans

and Democrats, House and Senate negotiators reached an
agreement Thursday to bolster
airport security and to replace
the Private contraetm"s that
screen passengers and bags
with federal employees within a
,.~

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SECURfI'Y!~EL'.

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1

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.FedeB,em~lrtcharge

ofseooritySCreetilll!iWitnfn
OIte)ieal:,atn:lbSt"aiipon:i;

.Ai~can'l1!quest,Ulat
.screenli'lg-be-~by .private contractOO oHaw
enforcetnentafterthrl!E! years
PLANESECURITY

.' The compromise, expected to
be approved by Congress on Frt.,Moreaff~ls'qn~
day; is part of a larger overllaul
of aViation seeurit)( Although
.StteAgttienscOdq,ltdoOfs
fewoft:he ~ t s would
• PlIots.canl:il,~ gunli
be in place In time for the hqsy _
holiday travel season,The agreement callsforsweepingchanges
in the way airline passengers
are protectedagains~ hijacltings
and ten'orist attacks.
The measure calls for cockpit
dOOt'll to be fortified against: attack and for pilots to be allowed
;~>.
to C8l'l'Y guns as a last-resort defenae against Intruders. All leeway on the reql1Jrement.
'
workers with access to airport
AlsoThIll"Sdax United Air·
tarmacs would have til pass lJnes
announced that Jt WOuld ,
cr1minal background checks arm its pilots with Taser stun
j
lInder the bill. And within 60 gUllS, pending apPl'OVal ftom
days, all checlted baggage is to the Department of Transportabe inspected before it is 1oaded. tion. United. is the flrst major '
onto a plane, although some ClUTier to take that step, aiCOIlgr'essJona! aides suaested
carriers may be granted SOme PLl'ASE SEE SECURITY. BACK PAGE

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