Mar 2, 2007 10:08 pm US/Central
State Lawmakers Begin Hearings On O'Hare Risks
CBS 2 Investigation 'Fly At Your Own Risk' Brought Airport Security To Committee's Attention
by Dave Savini
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) ―
A CBS 2 investigation into airport security was center stage in Springfield Friday.
Lawmakers on the newly created Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Committee began hearings into what 2 Investigator Dave Savini uncovered in his reports, "Fly At Your Own Risk."
The legislators appointed to the state's first ever homeland security committee expressed outrage while watching 2 Investigators' series on security at O'Hare International Airport.
"Alarming is not even the word for it," said committee Chair Rep. Lisa Dugan (D-79th).
"I found this astounding," said Rep. Greg Harris (D-13th).
The report alerted committee members and prompted them to request 2 Investigator Dave Savini's testimony about serious safety breaches, including what we saw at an entrance at O'Hare that we watched for days and night with surveillance cameras. We did not see a single car get checked.
And badges needed to get through the entrance are missing.
"I think the most disturbing thing I saw was 3,000 badges missing," Dugan said.
In fact, 3,760 airport employee identification badges -- called SIDA badges -- are missing.
A SIDA badge is a key to get into O'Hare Airport unchecked.
2 Investigators' hidden camera shows that with a badge you could access the airport tarmac, luggage, even airplanes, and enter through unlocked doors. All while bypassing metal detectors and bag screening.
"If one of those badges is used incorrectly we can all imagine what the devastation could be," said Rep. Harry Osterman (D-14th).
Lawmakers worry this is nationwide problem.
"This seems to be an issue that is going to affect every airport in the country and the federal government should be taking charge of this," Harris said.
The Transportation Security Administration handles most airport security, but in Chicago the city's Department of Aviation controls the badges and the back gate CBS 2 investigated. Both agencies have launched their own investigations.
Dugan says her committee is already being pressured to back off its investigation but won't say by whom.
"Pressure is not going to stop me," Dugan said. "There's been a breach of security. It's a fact it's a breach brought forward by your investigation and it's a concern that they have to answer and tell us what has to be done."
Committee members say they want both Chicago Department of Aviation and TSA officials to go to Springfield and explain how they are going to plug the holes in security 2 Investigators exposed.
A federal investigation has also been launched as a result of the CBS 2 investigation. The TSA is considering adding a security checkpoint at the employee back gate. Then all airport workers would have to go through metal detectors and bag screening.
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