TSA Officer Ricardo Perez was on duty last October when he noticed a smoking bag in the security line at Orlando International Airport. Having served in the U.S. Army for 20 years, Officer Perez was no stranger to live explosives, and he joined TSA after September 11 to continue his service.
As a trained Transportation Security Officer who had sworn an oath to the Constitution, Officer Perez immediately leapt into action. He risked life and limb while calmly grabbing the bag amidst a panicking crowd to move it between two columns that would hopefully “absorb” the explosion.
Now, TSA Officer Perez is just days away from being replaced by unaccountable, untrained security officers loyal to the company bottom-line, not the millions of American taxpayers and travelers who fly through Orlando International Airport every year.
On Feb. 21, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority will be convening to vote on privatizing TSA security at Orlando International Airport. The change won’t be because of performance, or because it will do anything to increase security, but because greedy board members want to auction off security at the nation’s busiest airport to make a buck.
Last year there were 94 firearms discovered at Orlando International Airport – seventh most in the country– 82 of which were loaded. As staffing numbers dwindled, and passenger volumes rose, travelers going through security in Orlando did so at one of the fastest rates of all airports in country.
And to top it off, TSA Officers in Orlando were able to accomplish both feats while receiving a 96 percent customer satisfaction score, earning them the highest customer satisfaction score in the country by the J.D. Power 2017 North America Airport Satisfaction Study.
The old saying goes: “don’t fix it if it ain’t broke,” but now, because private contractors with ties to the airport are chomping at the bit want to fill the airport with lower-wage workers, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority is on the verge of placing profits over passengers.
It’s stunning not only when you consider the real risk that this poses to the millions of passengers flying in and out of Orlando every year, but also when you take into account what it will do for the local economy if something happens on private contractors’ watch.
According to Visit Orlando, the greater Orlando and Orange County area had a record 68 million visitors in 2016, making it the number one destination in the country. There were 41.9 million travelers who came through Orlando International Airport, and resulted in more than $230 million in tourism tax collections.
But what happens if the unthinkable happens, because the airport decided profits for security outweighed the security for passengers?
Why would any governing body consider dismantling the number one rated airport in the country for safety and security? Shouldn’t the members of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority know that passenger safety, not profits, are the priority?
