City Council ‘supports’ study saying Hartsfield-Jackson does not need private security

At Monday’s Atlanta City Council Transportation Committee meeting, results from a study into how much sense it makes to have private security operate at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport were presented.

The findings, according to council, said there’s no need to switch it up, keeping the current Transportation Security Administration partnership in place, rather than switching to a private screening model through the TSA Screening Partnership Program.

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What brought us here

In March, a government shutdown led to TSA agents going unpaid for several weeks.

When those same unpaid TSA workers then called out sick, and staffing at the airport was reduced, security lines stretched for hours at Hartsfield-Jackson.

The study was initiated after the 76-day government shutdown impacted the TSA and other staff in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, therefore adding challenges to operations at Hartsfield-Jackson.

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What’s new

In a statement issued by the city council on Monday evening, Councilmember Byron Amos said he “fully supports the findings” of the study.

“When I introduced the legislation requesting the feasibility study, I did so with the intention of leaving the work in the hands of the experts, including general manager of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and his team, that ensure we have the world’s busiest and most efficient airport,” Amos said.

He also urged members of U.S. Congress to “listen to the cries of the people that Washington D.C. is hurting air transportation,” saying they need to work to ensure TSA workers are treated fairly.

What the study found

The study was initiated after a series of security issues at Hartsfield-Jackson prompted review of public versus private security staff at the often-times world’s busiest airport.

In April, TSA union steward George Borek told Channel 2 ‘s Michael Doudna that shifting to a private workforce would create issues ranging from training to liability, especially given the size and complexity of Hartsfield-Jackson.

That’s when Amos began exploring the feasibility study for private versus public-only security.

“TSA is still in control of the overall security of the airports, so the standards are the standards,” Amos said at the time.

Borek said rather than privatizing, the “solution is addressing the problem. The problem is funding.”

According to the findings, the Department of Aviation “believes it is best to continue operating security checkpoints and baggage screening facilities staffed by federal employees and not to pursue participation in the TSA SPP.”

What the next move is

Among reasons to remain with the current system, cost was a factor.

“Because the federal government funds screening operations whether staffed by federal employees or private contractors, switching to the SPP would not produce cost savings to the DOA or passengers,” the study summary said.

However, the report said that DOA staff will continue monitoring the SPP program developments, and would keep in contact with other airports that participate in the program, to see if the relevant factors change.

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