TSA agent helped himself to a $47,900 camera (and more!) {Gadling}

Oct 15th 2008 8:48AM With great sadness and dismay did we here at the airport this morning look over the comments made by travelers. I am a retired History Teacher and have been an employee of TSA for the past two and a half years. I myself was very affected by 9/11 so when it came time for me to retire I thought maybe this we be one way that I could serve my country. My hiring standards were quite extensive as was my background checks and credit history. I have been very pleased with the professional and high standards that we maintain within our TSA organization here in Texas. We certainly are shocked and horrified by the behavior and criminal activity by this person at the New Jersey airport. He should be fired and given a trial and hopefully sent to jail. The items should be returned if possible. How this could happen ,I am at a loss. The security at the entire Newark Airport should be in question as should the people responsible for this individual. People need to remember that this is an organization comprised of over 60,000 employees. To think that everyone in a large population like this is going to be perfect is unreasonable. The bigger issue is of course how did he get there? how did it happen? and how can we insure that it never happens again?
Of course,the other issue is reflected in the comments made by travelers that are very painful to read, and that is the perception of a few ,of TSA as a whole. Before anyone writes anything else like this I wish that people would remember what it is that has brought us to this. Yes. it does seem silly to take off your shoes and yes I am sure that you are wondering what happens to your expensive perfume should you have to give it up, but really have you forgotten that awful morning when people with boxcutters took over planes and flew them into buildings and 3,000 everyday Americans lost their lives in appalling deaths. In August of 2006, Thugs tried to smuggle explosive materieals from England onto an aircraft in shampoos bottles. Their intent was to bring down the aircraft over a poplulated area. Richard Reed also an English citizen tried to blow a hole in an aircraft by lighting explosives in the soles of his shoes.
The majority of TSA employees, myself included,take their jobs very seriously. I feel really good when I leave work knowing that everyone leaving our airport is as safe as I can make them. I would feel secure knowing my family was flying out of this airport. I also know that everyone to a person here also feels the same. Travelers who come through our checkpoint thank us daily for the job that we do. Honestly, at the end of the day would any of you want to get on an aircraft with your family that had not been screened? That employee at Newark deserves your scorn but the majority of TSA employees care about their jobs and treat their responsibilty with care and dedication.