Boise Airport sees 75% rise in guns at security, as requirements ‘have been ignored’
After a record number of firearms found in carry-on luggage in 2021, Boise Airport officials have recorded a 75% increase in guns detected so far this year.
In 2022, officials with the Transportation Security Administration have found 21 guns already, according to a news release. By this time last year, they had found 12.
Early Thursday morning, officials found an unloaded 9 mm Taurus handgun in the carry-on luggage of a traveler headed to Phoenix, according to the release. After being questioned by Boise Police Department officers, she was permitted to travel without the weapon.
Earlier this week, TSA officials at the Lewiston Nez Perce County Airport located a gun in a traveler’s luggage — the first of the year there, according to the release.
“Today’s firearm discovery in a traveler’s carry-on luggage at the Boise Airport is disappointing,” Andy Coose, TSA’s federal security director for Idaho, said in the release. “We continue to message to owners of firearms that guns are not allowed to travel through the security checkpoint. Unfortunately, these advisements have been ignored.”
Depending on circumstances, the TSA could impose a civil penalty against those who violate the ban, with the penalty beginning at $2,050 and going as high as $10,000, the release said.
If passengers with Trusted Traveler or TSA PreCheck privileges are caught with firearms, those privileges will be revoked for a time, the release added.
Boise Airport officials cited the significant amount of signage in and around the air hub that reminds passengers to double-check their luggage for firearms and other weapons banned for travel.
“It’s disheartening to continue to see passengers forget to remove these prohibited items from their carry-on luggage before traveling,” Sean Briggs, a Boise Airport spokesperson, told the Idaho Statesman by email. “The airport appreciates the diligent work performed by TSA officers to catch these prohibited items, helping to keep the flying public safe.”
To legally transport guns on planes, passengers must unload and pack them in a “locked, hard-sided case” before putting them in a checked bag and declaring their presence at a ticket counter, according to the release. Other gun accessories must also be checked.
TSA officials across the country have discovered more than 2,900 guns in carry-on luggage this year, according to the release. Last year, officials found 5,972 total — itself a record — according to previous Statesman reporting.
This story was originally published June 23, 2022 at 2:58 PM.
