(TNS) — Pennsylvanians with a permit to carry a concealed gun can lose that privilege if they are convicted of crimes ranging from shoplifting and writing a bad check to marijuana possession or committing bigamy.
But if they walk up to an airport security checkpoint with a loaded gun in their carry-on luggage, the weapon will be confiscated and they’ll receive a fine. There is no guarantee they will lose their permit to carry a concealed weapon.
One lawmaker wants to change that.
State Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Squirrel Hill, is working on a measure that would revoke the concealed carry permits of people caught with a gun at a security checkpoint.
“For years, I’ve watched law enforcement try to solve the problem of guns in airports with education, signage and public announcements alone, and the number of incidents has continued upward,” he said.
“It’s time to look at solutions with teeth, which could serve to prevent these dangerous events from happening, and also identify firearm owners who may not be qualified to carry a deadly weapon in public.”
About two-thirds of the people caught with a gun at an airport this year didn’t face criminal charges because there is no state law against bringing a firearm to an airport security checkpoint if they have a permit.
This year, Allegheny County Police filed criminal charges against 14 of the 43 people with a gun stopped by Transportation Security Administration screeners at Pittsburgh International Airport.
The proposed TSA Firearm Compliance Act should not concern gun owners who follow the rules, Frankel said.
“Gun owners who wish to transport their firearms while flying have a safe avenue available to them: Unloaded weapons may be legally transported through checked baggage if placed inside a locked, hard-shell container,” he said. “And yet thousands of Pennsylvania travelers, along with airport workers and members of law enforcement, are put in peril each year when individuals attempt to bring guns through carry-on luggage checkpoints in airports. And in 100% of those cases, the firearm owners’ explanation? ‘I forgot.’ “
Frankel said the problem poses more than just the risk of an accidental discharge in a crowded airport terminal.
“This ongoing problem is a drain on TSA resources and a distraction from other dangers that could compromise air travel safety — not to mention a cause of major delays in airports,” he said.
The proposed law comes on the heels of other efforts that have fallen flat.
“Security and law enforcement officials have tried everything: The feds increased fines, PA’s sheriffs have stepped up signage and educational efforts, and the media dutifully writes story after story as the incidents of TSA confiscation occur — but it keeps happening,” Frankel said. “Responsible gun owners do not forget they are carrying a loaded weapon. Responsible gun owners do not need intervention from the TSA to stop them from attempting to board airplanes while armed.”
More than 1.6 million people in the state have a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Pennsylvania is an “open carry” state, which means a gun can be carried without a permit as long as it is not hidden from view.
Frankel’s district includes the Squirrel Hill neighborhood in Pittsburgh where the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in U.S. history occurred in October 2018. Frankel also is a co-chair of the PA Safe Caucus, a coalition of state lawmakers seeking solutions to reduce gun violence.
When a gun is detected by TSA screeners, the federal government can issue a fine of up to $15,000.
County or local police stationed at the airport confiscate the gun and investigate whether criminal charges should be filed.
People who don’t have a permit, aren’t allowed to own a gun or are carrying an illegal firearm are arrested and charged.
But if a gun is legal, the person has a permit and they tell police they simply forgot it was in their bag, they are released unless authorities can prove they intentionally tried to take it on a plane.
Frankel’s proposal to raise the stakes for negligent gun owners comes on the heels of years of attempts by aviation security officials to address the problem by raising fines and making it all but impossible to miss the warnings about guns at the airport.
“At this point, it’s an epidemic in terms of the frequency in which we are seeing travelers bringing guns to our checkpoint,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA’s security director at Pittsburgh International Airport.
Her comments came in a Dec. 8 news release after a third gun was confiscated at the airport in as many days, bringing the total for the year to 43. Prior to this year, the most guns seized in a year was 35 in 2019.
