TSA Declares Its 'Top 10 Good Catches Of 2011' (PHOTOS)

It may 2012, but the TSA is still waxing nostalgic for 2011, releasing Tuesday afternoon its list of "top 10 good catches of 2011" on The TSA Blog.

"Some are dangerous, some simply look dangerous and can cause major delays and others are just plain weird," agency spokesman Bob Burns writes of the highlights.

It's an apt description of the disparate incidents, which include the discoveries of a harmless science project, exotic animals, flare guns, throwing knives and more than 1,200 firearms, many with rounds chambered. One highlight from Dallas in October: two handguns and eight knives in the luggage of a single passenger.

Not on the list is a mention of Trey Scott Atwater, the Green Beret demolitions expert arrested at Midland International Airport on New Year's Eve after TSA screeners found explosives in his carry-on baggage. The TSA has yet to issue a formal statement on Atwater's case.

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Comments

[Rich Maletto]

05:28 PM on 01/10/2012

well first they should be looking for exotic animals, that's been a problem. The guns should have all been found with a metal detector, no body scan imaging needed, and the rest were found through x-ray with people's carry-ons. So what exactly is a great find, you have spent major dollars on these body scanners to just admit to me, your good find didn't come from them. You name one, and it was a gun, made of metal...the metal detector didn't work? TSA you just proved what a joke you are, thanks!

[undrgrndgirl]

03:22 PM on 01/05/2012

i might give them three out of 9...you don't get to say 1200 firearms AND a loaded pistol, that would be 1201 firearms. the c4 is a problem, but come on inert land mines (as in DEMOs), a sample ide? how many play stations did they blow up this year?

i once calculated the likelihood of being on a flight with a terrorist...it in infinitesimally small. it is probably in my comment history, but i couldn't find it to repost. i want to see the cost/benefit analysis. how many of those things were actually INTENDED to be used to take a plane down? zero from what i can tell from the article.

[LTTR136]

10:42 AM on 01/05/2012

If they are going to do this I say they should do it right. Isreal does it best and if we were serious here their methods would be the best way. Oh! Wait! They profile. Well Duh! It goes beyond that however, and this is what the media doesn't want you to know. Security there talks to people, they look for psychological signs that a person is up to no good. They do not harrass the innocent. If a person has a bottle of water or cupcakes that person is asked to take a drink or a bite. I don't know why it is called "common sense" when it is so "UNCOMMON".

[Bigdaddylay]

05:21 AM on 01/05/2012

Am I the only person who thinks it is hilarious that the book with the throwing knives says Chapter 2: Ninja Equipment?

[LTTR136]

10:31 AM on 01/05/2012

LOL! I spotted that too and wondered where he hid the stars.

[fisher1949]

09:20 PM on 01/04/2012

Ther list fails to mention that in two separate GAO tests in 2011, TSA failed to detect weapons 70% of the time. The 1,200 items discovered means that approximately 4,000 items passed through security last year undetected and unreported.

TSA has also avoided comment on the C-4 discovery at Midland, TX because they inspected the passengers bag at Fayetteville, NC airport the week before and missed the C-4 then. They also missed a large knife at Myrtle Beach airport this week

There were 60 security failures reported in 2011 and they wasted no time scoring their first two failures of 2012. This agency is a disgrace and needs to be replaced with a system that works consistently and rationally.

[Scott Weiner]

02:21 AM on 01/10/2012

Completely agree.

[billa518]

04:28 PM on 01/04/2012

638,000,000 travelers harrassed, abused and molested and TSA brags about the 10 things they found.

[d23ratm]

11:24 PM on 01/04/2012

Glad my kilo of pot got past these dummies.

[Commando98]

01:28 PM on 01/04/2012

TSA is a joke, they molest kids and make old ladies strip. Under Obama the TSA is something truly inept. TSA did take those cupcakes from the lady, they said the frosting looked suspicious. TSA should be dissolved and taken over by a private company. Government fails at everything.

[Lesperado]

01:27 PM on 01/04/2012

And people have a problem with TSA!

[Harold Saxon]

02:46 PM on 01/04/2012

People have a problem with violations of their constitutional rights. People have a problem with strangers touching their children in their intimate areas. People have a problem with their elderly parents being bullied and humiliated due to physical disabilities.

And I have a problem with TSA apologists.

[Tbonepickins]

01:24 PM on 01/04/2012

The TSA is just there to get make the public feel safe and get you accustomed to being searched, groped, and irradiated without probable cause.

[mnkiwiguy]

01:02 PM on 01/04/2012

and this is what tax payers foot a $8.1 BILLION budget for? Did you not ONE of these resulted in an arrest? Because they were innocent mistakes by US citizens. TSA is a farce and should be abolished.

[Lesperado]

01:30 PM on 01/04/2012

Right. Let's let these folks carry on board the planes guns, knives, flares, stun guns (disguised as a cell phone) because we live in such a peaceful world.

I support the TSA.

[school first]

04:58 AM on 01/05/2012

TSA will never find everything, but I agree with you, as I am a frequent flier and appreciate checks for everyone. Passengers know the drill, so pay attention and follow the rules. Know one likes the checks, but it's manditory. I agree TSA could improve, but until then, I want someone who is going to check all passengers; which include the elderly (their wheelchairs), crying babies etc.
Thanks for your post!

[Harold Saxon]

12:50 PM on 01/04/2012

Any of those items could have been caught through luggage screening, a metal detector, and a bomb dog. The scope and grope does nothing to keep us safer.

[Lesperado]

01:31 PM on 01/04/2012

"The agency found a "non-metallic" spike hidden in a passenger's sock at Pensacola."

[Harold Saxon]

02:38 PM on 01/04/2012

Gosh darn it, you're right. That and that alone makes all of the humiliation, irradiation, and invasions of privacy well worth it.

Sure am glad we’re safe from tapered plastic sticks. I mean, Adam Savage walked on through the body scanner last year with two 12 inch razor blades on his person. But hey, at least they got the plastic spike guy.

[Oilygarch]

12:31 PM on 01/04/2012

And notice how none of these detections were intra-corporal, as in, hidden inside one's body cavities. Those, the TSA cannot detect. Recently a Saudi prince (head of Saudi Intelligence) was almost offed when an opponent set themsef off in his proximity.

This practice is also followed by Colombian durg mules as well as people smuggling items into prison. It is only a matter of time before there is some sort of cavity search.

Then binLaden will have truly won.

[Lesperado]

01:36 PM on 01/04/2012

"The agency found a "non-metallic" spike hidden in a passenger's sock at Pensacola."

"Then binLaden will have truly won."
Let's see. We spent how many billions of our dollars finding him?
We have spent how many billions up grading our security systems throughout the US?
We spent how many billions and countless lives in Iraq because our kookoo president thought BinLaden had employed Iraqis?

Yep! We showed him!

[Working-man]

12:17 PM on 01/04/2012

Keep in mind that this list was published by the TSA. Would anyone be surprised to hear that it was wholly or partly fabricated to help justify their existence?

You really can't believe anything the gov't tells us proles anymore.

[Recalled]

12:15 PM on 01/04/2012

How about ALL that DANGEROUS life threatening water?

[MissFrijole]

12:35 PM on 01/04/2012

Or my brand new, unopend soap and shampoo bottles I order from a website because I prefer them to stuff bought in a store? That's sooo harmful! Herbal shampoo! Oh no! There goes 20 bucks.

[Recalled]

03:49 PM on 01/04/2012

It affirms what a joke the USA Govt is in handling terrorism. They freak out on "water" to only offer it on the flight. lol. I mean, Americans fall for this form of Govt. bullying.

[Scott Weiner]

02:23 AM on 01/10/2012

Well the water bottles could be used to squirt harmless water on a seat of the plane causing mold...

[SquadronLeader]

12:09 PM on 01/04/2012

Multi-Billions spent by the TSA to find out that Texans carry guns; That beats any of the other domestic pork barrel spending projects.