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Hearing on TSA conduct

July 31, 2013

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The TSA security line, often the most dreaded part of traveling by air, that shoeless and beltless shuffle through metal detectors, all in the name of air safety.

Wednesday’s Congressional hearing focused on the security concerns posed not by travelers, but by the officers themselves.

“If integrity is truly a core value, then TSA, it’s time to prove it. Stop with the napping, the stealing, the tardiness and the disrespect and earn American’s trust and confidence,” said South Carolina Representative Jeff Duncan.

A range of offenses from sleeping on the job to allowing relatives to skip security checkpoints and even stealing from passengers' bags were all outlined in a just released report by the Government Accountability Office. It found more than 9,000 cases of bad behavior by TSA employees over a three year span.

"Reports that cases of employee misconduct have increased by nearly 30 percent over the past three years do little to instill confidence in an agency that is already fighting an uphill battle," said North Carolina Representative Richard Hudson.

The TSA’s Deputy Administrator said his agency, which employs 47,000 airport screeners, needs to do more to make sure workers are complying with the rules.

"The overwhelming majority of TSA employees are good people doing good work. Nonetheless, misconduct occurs and when it does TSA takes prompt, appropriate action," said TSA Deputy Administrator John Halinski.

Some committee members challenged that claim since of the 9,000 misconduct cases, only 17 percent ended in an employee’s dismissal.

Still, the TSA says it will adopt the recommendations outlined in the government report, all of which are aimed at improving how the agency addresses allegations of employee misconduct.

YNN, By: Geoff Bennett