Shostack + Friends Blog Archive

 

Well, He Had Valid ID (Houston Edition)

Houston police and the federal Transportation Security Administration disagree over who is responsible for allowing a man with what appeared to be bomb components board an aircraft at Hobby Airport last week.

Although the FBI eventually cleared the man of wrongdoing, police officials have transferred the officer involved and are investigating the incident while insisting that the TSA, not police, has the authority to keep a suspicious person from boarding a flight.

No explosive material was detected, the report states. A police officer was summoned and questioned the man, examined his identification, shoes and the clock, then cleared him for travel, according to the report. (Emphasis added.)

Houston Chronicle, “HPD, airport security at odds over incident,” via BoingBoing. Previously in the ID checking department, “Well, umm, He Had Valid ID.”

More seriously, the outstanding coordination between agencies was (ahem) singled out in the 9/11 Commission report. Its good to see that nearly 5 years later, that lesson has been internalized, and overcomes bureaucratic squabbles.