Security patrols are stepping up around shopping centers, theaters, the Atlanta Streetcar and the world’s busiest airport, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said on Monday.
Reed spoke at a security briefing held at the airport. The briefing had been planned prior to Friday's terrorist attacks in Paris but focused in part on increasing security at Hartsfield-Jackson in light of what happened in France.
Surrounded by police stationed on multiple levels around the airport domestic terminal atrium, some armed with long guns and accompanied by bomb-sniffing dogs, Reed said the city will "do our part to harden the airport."
He also cautioned travelers to pack patience as they get ready to travel for the holiday season.
Atlanta Police Chief George Turner also said Monday that the Atlanta police department has “not confirmed any credible threats to this region as of today,” but also said residents should “stay vigilant” and report anything they see out of the norm.
Turner said the police department prepares a plan for all events, from a concert at the Masquerade to smaller and larger events. The police department also coordinates with the NFL, he said, as well as the NBA, adding that there have been changes in security for games that will continue going forward.
The airport in response to a gun-running scheme involving an airline worker late last year began screening employees earlier this year, making it one of only three airports in the nation to have such procedures. But not all employees are screened today, and will not be until the end of the year — after the holiday season.
Hartsfield-Jackson general manager Miguel Southwell said the airport is also increasing security in response to the Paris attacks in unseen ways, including more frequent background checks of employees.
Although such moves may not affect security waits for travelers, other factors that have been building through the year are already causing long lines at the airport.
Southwell said travelers should arrive two hours before their flights, adding there are two peak periods in the morning and three or four peaks in the afternoon. Total passenger counts have increased about 4 percent, and the number of passengers from Atlanta has increased even more, up 8 to 10 percent, Southwell said.
Even before the Paris attacks and the busy holiday travel season, airport and airline officials were seeing security lines getting longer. The Transportation Security Aministration has reduced the number of travelers going through expedited screening, while Hartsfield-Jackson is seeing record traffic with 2015 passenger counts expected to reach 100 million passengers for the year. That has added up to lines at security during peak periods hitting 20 to 30 minutes on a regular basis.
“We’ve been seeing the lines building up,” Southwell said. He said the airport has been meeting with TSA and airlines “to try and determine how to address it.” He said the airport believes additional staffing is needed for the Atlanta airport given the rapid increase in passenger traffic.
TSA spokesman Mark Howell said the agency is “doing the best we can with what we’re allocated.” He said the agency is working to fill job openings due to attrition, and is flexing part-time workers into full-time and using overtime to staff security checkpoints during busy periods.
About the Author
