Screener theft caught on tape:
The issue of airport screeners stealing items from checked luggage just won't go away. The latest comes from the New York Daily News, and is perhaps the most disturbing report yet. Last month, both Continental and American sought help from law enforcement after spikes in theft-related customer complaints at New York-area airports. Rolex watches and Dell laptops were "missing" and reports were filed by the likes of soap opera star Susan Lucci and comedians Chevy Chase and Joan Rivers. What detectives allegedly found after using video surveillance cameras was disturbing. Several uniformed Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners used their private work area "like a candy store," one source told the Daily News. Making matters worse, screeners are accused of then switching locator tags on pilfered luggage to help make the crimes harder to track. Additionally, that sent bags from already victimized customers to wrong airports. Among the other findings on the surveillance tape, some TSA screeners gave stolen good to supervisors, who placed them in employee areas for the screeners to retrieve later. Prosecutors are still investigating.