Not paying TSA workers could pose a security risk, experts say | CNN

Transportation Security Administration screeners checking passengers and their bags are the most visible layer of security at airports, but now that they have gone without pay for more than a month, some aviation experts are concerned the shutdown is increasing risks. “The wait times are obviously spiking everywhere, which means it’s more chaotic, which creates a security vulnerability,” said Keith Jeffries, who ran TSA at Los Angeles International Airport and is now a vice president of K2 Security Screening Group. “How focused are the front-line employees on actually finding dangerous or prohibited items, or people with bad intentions, because they haven’t been paid?” he added. The war with Iran, which started about three weeks ago, adds to the wide-ranging threats TSA must look out for every day. The agency is not just made up of people giving pat-downs and finding bottles of water in carry-ons but has teams assessing threats and vulnerabilities along with intelligence and law enforcement agencies. “You can’t eliminate risk, but you can mitigate risk,” said John Pistole, who served as the TSA administrator during the Obama administration. While TSA often notes t