Election Section

New federal security screeners starting this week in Los Angeles

The Associated Press
Monday October 07, 2002

LOS ANGELES – Starting at midnight Monday passengers in two Los Angeles International Airport terminals will navigate security checkpoints manned by federally trained screeners. 

The first 450 federal screeners will work in Terminals 7 and 8, and another 1,150 passenger screeners by Nov. 19 will be phased in at other terminals. Four hundred federal baggage screeners also are expected to be on the job by Dec. 31, said David Stone, federal security director at LAX. 

The federal screeners will replace security personnel who worked for private companies at the nation’s airports. Congress ordered the change after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. 

Nationwide, 30,000 screeners are being hired and trained by the Transportation Security Administration. 

The federal screeners coming to work Monday at midnight have logged 44 hours of classroom training and will get another 60 hours of on-the-job training from a mobile screening team, Stone said.