Brooklyn, NY – Councilman Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn) sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano stating his opposition to having TSA airport workers replace the NYPD officers in issuing random bag searches on the New York City subways. Instead, he urged the Federal Government to provide more Homeland Security funding to the city in order to hire more NYPD officers.

“No one is more familiar and better able to protect New York City’s subway system than officers of the New York City Police Department. While TSA agents may be trained to screen bags for items prohibited on domestic flights – from knives to shampoo and conditioner – they are not equipped to stop armed criminals or terrorists from entering the city’s subway cars.” said Councilman Felder in his letter.

According to a Fox 5 News report, due to a police officer shortage, the NYPD needs to relocate police officers from the subways to the streets so they can deal with crime. Therefore, a proposed plan would pull TSA workers from the three major airports and have them take over the bag screening program from the NYPD. About 30 TSA screeners a day would come to various subway locations throughout the city to inspect bags. They would be accompanied by one police officer instead of the two or three officers typically seen at inspection sites.

(YWN Desk – NYC)