Off-Duty Police Officer Steals iPad From TSA Checkpoint

SpaceCadetTrav writes "A recent arrest report shows that an off-duty police officer from Fullerton, CA was arrested on felony grand theft charges for stealing an iPad at a TSA checkpoint in the Miami International Airport. The theft was captured on video surveillance last month and the officer was tracked down just before boarding her plane."

"...She placed her bag of chicken over it"

[retroworks]

I read the arresting officer's police report via the link. In case you don't intend to (it's kind of boring), I think the highlight is the statement that upon seeing the IPad in the TSA bin, that she placed her bag of chicken over it. Aside from that, I guess any story with the word "IPad" and a photo of Steve Jobs is sure to be interesting to someone. So off-duty-police crime + IPad and Steve Jobs + Bag of Chicken is the combination that makes this story "interesting".

Re:Seriously?

[antifoidulus]

Most of the thieves who work for the TSA are actually a lot more sophisticated than this idiot. My co-worker had a macbook pro stolen from him at the airport. He put one into his checked baggage and when he got it back inside he found the love letter from the TSA saying they had inspected the bag and no laptop. What we did find upon closer inspection was a small, but certainly noticeable incision on the top left corner of the bag. We hypothesize, though obviously cannot prove, that this was essentially a signal to the person who took the bag from the inspection point(where there are tons of cameras) to the loading dock for the plane. The area in between is bound to have significantly fewer cameras and is most likely where the theft took place. He complained to the TSA but got the standard note that they take things like this very seriously and how theft is very rare etc. Basically they said "sucks to be you" and he never heard from them again.

The Not So Real Surprise

[Cylix]

While checking through at the airport a few months back I was going through the standard scans. After placing my items in the bins (o so many bins, damn you electronic devices) I'm left to stand while they take a peek at my penis (to determine if it's worthy of flight).

The agent nearby asks me to keep an eye on my items as they pass through. I suppose if I'm busy watching my things they are free to do other things (like giggle at my pictures). I thought it was kinda odd because who in the right mind would dare defy the TSA under their noses. Still, nearly 20 seconds after the agent mentions me watching my belongings some chick snatches my ipad out of the bin and proceeds to start to walk off. Unfortunately, I can't leave my position of shame and I keep raising my voice while repeatedly saying, "HEY LADY, THAT IS MY IPAD." Eventually, when about 3 or 4 people are staring her down she sets in back in the bin and states she thought it was hers. Ignoring the fact that it was crammed between three other bins that had my possessions and I don't recall her actually picking up an ipad from her newly radioactive items.

In the end, I kept my things and the TSA laughed at my penis some more. Still, it's quite frightening how easy it really is to both nab someones things and then write off what you were attempting.

Re:The Not So Real Surprise

[erroneus]

I spent a little time as a TSA screener. Take it from me, most of them don't like their jobs and would rather be doing something else. They are barred from using their brains and are likely to lose their jobs if they do anything that resembles "sensible." The best way to get through a checkpoint is to quietly make it known that you know they don't like what they do or how they have to do it and that all you are interested in is getting out of their way and on to your destination. Also, it doesn't hurt to treat them like people and offer a little small talk. You will never see or meet the people making the real decisions. All you get to see are people who probably couldn't get a better job somewhere else.

And while it is known that TSA people have stolen things, it is actually quite difficult to do that. I know in my time there, things were pretty well watched. The real threat was and still is, the baggage handlers and civilians who go to the airports to steal luggage.

I'm a long way from defending the TSA, but I know what it's like to do things I didn't like doing. Searching people and their things is interesting at first, but after the first few days, it's meaningless and endless. If you think for a moment that someone's there snickering at your "whatever" you would be wrong. Only newbies would be like that.

Re:Seriously?

[Anonymous Coward]

I worked for TSA. I took time around my programming job to do it just for kicks for a couple months. I don't like TSA and I wanted to see why they do it. They work hard to bring in a paramilitary atmosphere. They're very open about it. They like to hire ex-military, security guards and people who have that security fetish.

Most aren't thieves but it happens. Laptops go through without being stolen. It's amazing how many people just toss them in with their clothes all the time. No case, no trying to keep it from moving around. I'd watch TSA employees go through laptops and cameras out of boredom. Playing guitars, waving dildos every single time they came through. Flipping through porn and purposely breaking things in bags. If it said "fragile" that would be taken as "Throw it into the air until you hear things break". They'd catch and fire people stealing drugs, jewelry and the caddy cash in golf bags. Not all of course, but some.

It's a bunch of high school grads gone wild. It has a very high turnover rate. Lots of injuries and if you work for the Feds they won't pay unemployment or medical injury bills unless you're very lucky. I'd watch TSA employees with bad backs and shoulders struggling to pick bags up. People also left for police jobs or rejoined the military.