New Security Chief at Logan: Former Chief Reassigned, Under Scrutiny After Hijackings

ABCNEWS ^ | Wednesday, October 3, 2001 | By Ron Claiborne

[JohnHuang2]

B O S T O N, Oct. 2 — Massachusetts acting Gov. Jane Swift today replaced Logan Airport's director of public safety and ordered 150 more state troopers to enhance security at the nation's 17th busiest airport.

Logan was the airport from which two of the four commercial airliners hijacked on Sept. 11 departed. Those two planes slammed into the World Trade Center. Although there was never any evidence that hijackers breached airport security, Logan has felt something of a stigma ever since.

During a televised address to the state tonight, Swift announced the selection of John DiFava, 49, to become the interim head of security at Logan. DiFava, head of the Massachusetts State Police, would serve for 45 days while a committee studying Massport, which runs Logan, will seek a permanent security chief.

"[DiFava's] appointment reinforces the measures we've already taken, including an unprecedented number of state police and federal agencies patrolling the airport's roads, terminals and parking lots," Swift said at a press conference. "Airport security is the one area that demands a single, clear source of direction and control. To protect all Americans, this requires a national approach."

Swift did not mention by name the man DiFava will replace, Joe Lawless, who was reassigned to oversee security at the Port of Boston. Lawless' transfer amounts to his ouster, following two serious breaches of airport security.

Last Saturday, three passengers on a US Airways flight to Pittsburgh were sent to an unmanned security checkpoint in Logan's Terminal B. They were able to proceed to their gate without being stopped or passing through a metal detector. When they were discovered, all the passengers in that terminal who had passed security had to leave and re-enter, which took nearly two hours.

Checkpoint Security Under Scrutiny

Last week, Massport officials confirmed that undercover state police had succeeded in passing through security checkpoints with a knife and bullets on Sept. 20.

Checkpoint security is actually the airlines' responsibility. A spokesman for US Airways told the Boston Herald the incident was a "security concern."

But after the highly publicized imposition of what were billed as tough, security measures at Logan, the security breaches were a political embarrassment to Swift.

When Logan re-opened Sept. 15, Massport said its security would exceed even what the Federal Aviation Administration required. It included random luggage inspection, increased scrutiny at checkpoints and stationing state police and federal agents inside the terminals.

Even before the Sept. 11 attacks, Logan had a reputation for lax security. During the 1990s, FAA investigators were able to bring more than 200 hidden weapons through Logan security checkpoints during tests.

In her speech, Swift called for the federalizing of airport security. She said, if the federal government did not do so, she would seek to have the state take over airport security in Massachusetts.

For Education And Discussion Only. Not For Commercial Use.

[Dialup Llama]

>...stationing state police and federal agents inside the terminals.Make sure you wave to the terrorists when they walk by.

[Dialup Llama]

It seems to have to do REALLY bad at your job to get fired in Mass.

[Dialup Llama]

>Logan had a reputation for lax security.Apparaently the terrorsts knew this.

>During the 1990s, FAA investigators were able to bring more than 200 hidden weapons through Logan security checkpoints during tests.This is called a clue.

[Dialup Llama]

bold off

[Diogenesis]

Mr. Lawless was the car driver for the Governor years back.

After the atrocity of 911 he impeded US Marshals at Logan.

This weekend, under his watch, passengers boarded planes without being checked.

====================================================

The solution: Replace the checkers with Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

~85% of the checkers are nonUS citizens. I trust the Scouts more.

[Gladwin]

You have an excellent point about the boy scouts. I know it is sarcasm, but it is also true. That makes it so depressing.

When I read an article like the above, I wonder if the US has the will to enforce security at airports. Once Logan is out of the public eye, the governor of MA will put her pool boy back in charge.

Already, businessmen, travelling salesmen, and newspaper reporters are complaining about the long wait to get on airplanes. This bodes ill because a faster security screening is less thorough.

I have a defeatist attitude about airport security, but I am skeptical that these terrorists can be prevented from mounting another attack, unless we expel foreign nationals from Islamic countries. I know that isn't very PC, but if 20% or more of people from our ally Saudi Arabia hate us, what is to stop them?

[Diogenesis]

It was not sarcasm. I am serious.

I trust the Brownies more than the State Dept and the Airlines checkers.

[cgbg]

This is not rocket science.

Logan Airport should be periodically checked and graded by federal inspectors. If it fails it should be shut down to beef up its security measures. Then they can try again until they get it right.

Hint: how about checking the id's of all employees of the food service companies and requiring all new employees to be carefully screened?

[Gladwin]

The things that must be done are simple, but I am skeptical that anyone has the will to do it. They kept Reagan National Airport closed until they had tightened security enough to lower the risk to an acceptable level. But Reagan Airport didn't have an airplane hijacked out of it. Boston Logan had two hijacked, and people are still sneaking knives onto airplanes.

In another article, I read that tourism is down 70% in Boston. I know logic and politics don't mix - but politics is self interest of individuals and groups. Surely, they must see that security is in their own self interest. Tourism will go up when people know that it is safe to fly on an airplane. Right now, it is more like playing the lottery, only you have better odds of being killed than of winning any money.

[Lion's Cub]

Swift did not mention by name the man DiFava will replace, Joe Lawless, who was reassigned to oversee security at the Port of Boston.

I have no idea whether Logan's problems are this guy's fault or not, but replacing him certainly implies that the governor has arrived at that conclusion. Therefore, assigning him to oversee security at the Port of Boston means that terrorists can now bring in nukes and stingers instead of box cutters! Absurd! Instead of blowing up airplanes, they can blow up ships!

[SKYDRIFTER]

You'd think the previous FBI prosecution in the Boston-Logan Airport Security issue with the FAA giving the boston folks a big cash bonus for a job well done (despite their obvious and dismal failure) might have set off a few alarms.

It's not as though three reports to Congress hadn't told the story, independently of the reports and the relentless efforts of those such as former FAA security agent, Steve Elson.