Baggage claim an easy target
Big crowds but little security
The horrific shooting in Fort Lauderdale that left five dead exposes a big soft target at airports — the baggage-claim area, federal law-enforcement sources told The Post.
Passengers are essentially sitting ducks as they crowd around the carousels waiting for their luggage to emerge.
“The Swiss cheese of our airports is the baggage area,” a federal source said. “It’s the place where all the holes are, because those areas lack the robust security you have in other areas of the airport.”
Until authorities undertake measures to ramp up security in baggage-claim areas, there could be “more attacks and more loss of life,” according to the source.
“The Department of Homeland Security needs to take a hard look at those areas, and make some hard decisions to make them secure,” the source said.
“They need to implement specif ic infrastructure requirements, like security cams and guards. People who want to com- mit mass atrocities in airports, they are going to target the hot spots: baggage-claim areas and also the ticket area.”
In July, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) signed a letter with 12 other senators that asked members of Congress to include a provision to the Federal Aviation Reauthorization Bill that would beef up airport and mass-transit security.
The bill passed and did include several provisions meant to address soft targets.
Former FBI Assistant Director Ronald Hosko warned that implementing new security measures in baggage claims across the country would be very expensive — and might ultimately do little to thwart would-be attackers.
“You are talking millions and millions of dollars to secure those carousel areas in every major airport in the country,” he said. “All the terrorist will do is change their M.O. and hit us in a soft spot like the ticketing area.”