Expansion of the TSA

In an unprecedented approach that involved four law enforcement agencies - including federal agents - METRO launched a national BusSafe pilot program last Friday that saturated its system and resulted in quality arrests, making transit safer for passengers.

The METRO Police Department, Houston Police Department, Harris County Precinct 7 Deputy Constables and 15 agents - part of so-called viper teams - from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) joined forces in a synchronized, counter-terrorism exercise that focused on bus stops and shelters and transit centers.

Law officials performed random bag checks, conducted sweeps with our K-9 drug and bomb-detecting dogs, and assigned both uniformed and plainclothes officers at transit centers and rail platforms to detect and prevent criminal activity.
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Doyle Raines, general manager at the Transportation Security Administration, said Rodriguez invited the TSA to bring its viper teams to join in this grassroots pilot program that grew from a peer advisory group of mass transit police chiefs and security directors that included METRO's Rodriguez.

Rodriguez pointed out three elements a safe transit system depends on: crime analysis, input from bus operators and citizens who ride the system.

Friday's BusSafe operation brought to the table agencies with specific skills - and the combination of those skills led to a productive exercise with quality arrests, said Rodriguez. The large-scale operation with multiple agencies in which no one was hurt demonstrated a rare level of cooperation and collaborative spirit by all the agencies involved.

Friday's operation occurred from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Eight felony arrests were made in one shift, compared to five last month.
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Jay said:

apparently filming the TSA is now grounds for arrest (according to them).

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Can you sue a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent when he or she violates your rights in an airport? On Monday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the answer to that question is indeed “yes.” The Institute for Justice (IJ) argued as an amicus in this case, urging the court to rule that TSA agents are indeed “law enforcement officers” who conduct “searches,” and thus are liable to be sued when they assault airline passengers.

“The government’s position in this case hinged on its argument that TSA agents don’t conduct searches. While the trial court accepted that argument, the appeals court’s ruling let common sense and accountability prevail,” said IJ Senior Attorney Patrick Jaicomo, who argued as amicus in the case. “This ruling is a major win for the millions of Americans who fly, ensuring that they have a viable avenue for justice when TSA agents violate their rights.”

In 2019, Michele Leuthauser was flying out of Las Vegas. When she walked through the TSA line, she was told to go to a private room for additional screening. Leuthauser describes the “groin search” that ensued as a traumatic invasion of her most intimate areas, wholly without justification. Leuthauser contacted the airport police about what happened but was informed that TSA agents were outside of their jurisdiction.

Seeking justice in court, Leuthauser sued the officer who conducted the groin search and her employer, the United States of America. She filed a claim against the government under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). Agreeing with the government that TSA agents don’t execute searches, a federal trial court dismissed Leuthauser’s case, leaving her without a remedy in court. Monday’s ruling by the 9th Circuit overturns the lower court ruling that the government could not be sued under the FTCA.

“A right without a remedy is no right at all, and if the government had its way in this case, there would be no meaningful remedy for Ms. Leuthauser,” said IJ Attorney Anya Bidwell.
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