Policy Text
Contract & Regional Services Page 1 of 5 207/02 (Rev 2/16)
Airport Bureau
Prohibited Items or Contraband at Checkpoints and in Checked Lu ggage
This Order establishes procedures for documenting incidents whe re prohibited items or
contraband is found at Airport Secur ity Checkpoints either in c arry-on luggage, in
checked luggage, or on a person ent ering (or in) the sterile/se cure area of the airport.
I. Background and Rationale
A. Prohibited items or c ontraband in carry-on luggage, checked luggage, or
on the person of some one entering (or in) t he sterile/secure ar ea is a
potential security and safety iss ue that impacts commercial air line travel.
The Transportation Security Adm inistration (TSA) screeners are in place
to prevent the introduction of c ontraband into the sterile/secu re area of the
airport and onto commercial airliners.
B. When a TSA screener locates sus pected (specific) prohibited items or
contraband in either carry-on , checked luggage, or on the perso n of
someone entering (or in) the ster ile/secure area law enforcemen t is called
to investigate. The thorough on- scene investigation, regardles s of actions
taken (i.e. arrest, confiscati on of property, etc.), is essenti al to successfully
managing these events.
1. In addition to possible local criminal charges, a violation of certain
Federal regulations may r esult in civil penalties.
2. The offender’s dem eanor is an important f actor to be observe d and
documented for case follow-up shoul d the TSA consider imposing
civil penalties for the incident.
II. Procedure
A. A silent alarm or emergency te lephone call from any of the s ecurity
checkpoints requires an immediat e response by a uniformed deput y. This
response must be as expeditious a s practical, but no longer tha n five (5)
minutes.
B. Deputies responding to the scene will use the best possible tactical approach,
and request the Airport Communicati ons Center to monitor activi ty at the scene
via video camera.
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Airport Bureau C. Arriving deputies wi ll contact the checkpoint security super visor (CSS) to
determine the reason for the alarm.
D. Deputies will first ensure tha t any possible weapon/explosiv e has been separated
from the suspect(s).
E. In the event of the discovery of a firearm, either in baggag e or on a person, the
deputies will take the appropriate investigative steps to deter mine if it is lawful for
the person to possess the weapo n. In most cases the following weapons
charges would apply: PC 25400( a)(2) possession of a concealed firearm, and
PC 25850(a) possession of a loaded firearm. Deputies may use d iscretion in
these circumstances.
1. Toy or simulated firearms, by themselves, may not constitute a violation;
however, the totality of the circum stances may warrant detainin g the indi-
vidual for further investigation.
2. Deputies will determine if a v iolation of state law has oc curred.
a. Many concealed weapons permi ts are marked not valid at
commercial airports.
b. Long guns may not constitute a violation of State Law, but still
may violate U.S. Code.
3. The deputies’ investigati on will include an assessment of w hether
the firearm (or any weapon) was “artfully concealed” or secrete d in
such a manner to try and avoid detection. The FBI should be notified in such cases and cons ulted on the need to apply feder al
charges against the suspect.
4. Deputies will handle state c harges, via citation or booking , as
appropriate.
F. In the event of discovering a suspected explosive, deputies will handle in
accordance with Oper ations Orders 207/03.
1. If an evacuation is ordered , the on-duty supervisor will mee t with
fire personnel, TSA and airport operations personnel to set-up a
unified command.
2. The command location shall be ou tside the minimum evacuation
distance of the suspected expl osive device unless otherwise
directed by the Incident Commander.
3. The affected airlines should be notified and a representativ e from
each company should participate in the unified command. At a
minimum, the unified command shall include a representative fro m
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Airport Bureau SSD EOD Unit, the Airport Bur eau Commander and Airport
Security Coordinator, TSA, and Ai rport Rescue and Fire Fighting
(ARFF).
Note: The initial location selected fo r the set-up of a unified comm and
may be subject to change based on t he device and distance neede d to
safely coordinate the operation.
III. Reporting Requirements
A. When an Airport Bur eau Deputy Sheriff is dispatched or other wise
becomes involved in an incident o f a prohibited item or contrab and, of the
type (but not limited to items ) described in P enal Code § 171.5 , found in
carry-on, checked luggage, or on the person of an individual at the airport,
an Incident Report or other appropr iate report may be completed . The
report will contain:
1. The identifying and contact inf orm