District Attorneys Must Monitor TSA Pat Downs for Sexual Abuse

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Nov 24, 2010, 06:00 ET

NAPA, Calif., Nov. 24, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Let's keep this Thanksgiving a traditional family event and not an excuse for the TSA to grope flyers.

"We expect a number of travelers to opt-out of the scanners and today we call on California and national District Attorneys to send monitors to airports to ensure TSA behavior does not cross into sexual assault," said Kate Hanni, Executive director of flyersrights.org.

Incoming Chief Deputy DA of San Mateo, Steve Wagstaffe, said his office will prosecute TSA employees who engage in lewd and lascivious behavior while conducting Homeland Security mandated pat downs at the San Francisco International Airport in San Mateo County.

"The case would be reviewed and if we could prove the elements of it, that it was inappropriately done with a sexual or lewd intent, that person would be prosecuted," Wagstaffe told the Berman Post on Tuesday.

Any traveler who believes the TSA pat down has crossed into the widely reported groping of "sensitive" personal areas should take note of the TSA staffer's name and badge. The traveler should immediately contact a uniformed state or city police officer found at all screening areas to start an investigation. Additionally, the local district attorney's office should be called if a monitor is not in site.

The Obama Administration is obviously noticing the huge national uproar over various TSA abuses. Elected officials in Congress and virtually every state are calling for a TSA pat down review. Today we join this debate by calling for a suspension of TSA groping pending a full public review.

"The Obama Administration has said the TSA rules are 'evolving' and we say evolve faster. Cancel the groping today," Kate Hani said. "American travelers are not criminals just because they want to get on a plane, or want to protect their privacy and don't want to be groped. Fundamental American values are being violated in airports and that is offensive."

FlyersRights.org agrees that layered levels of security are an imperative, it's the layers currently being utilized that are objectionable. Biometric Technology such as Fly Clear or Global Entry should be immediately implemented so that TSA may begin assessing the threats before they get to the airport. "We need risk based, intelligence driven security that doesn't violate all Americans who want to fly and who pose no risk."