CLEVELAND — The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has released its annual report on firearm detections at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
In 2021, TSA reports confiscating a total of 43 handguns at check points throughout the year. The total reflects an increase of 17, from the 26 detected in 2019.
“While our passenger volumes have not yet fully returned to pre-pandemic levels, we are seeing even higher numbers of firearms, most of them loaded,” Ohio TSA Federal Security Director Don Barker said. “Passengers are strictly prohibited from bringing firearms onboard planes, and our TSA officers are laser-focused on security and preventing weapons from getting through our checkpoints.”
Among Ohio airports, Cleveland Hopkins ranked No. 1 for having the most firearms confiscated, ahead of John Glenn in Columbus that had 33 firearms detected. Four firearms were seized at Akron-Canton Airport in 2021. Across the United States, agents stopped nearly 6,000 firearms at airport checkpoints, surpassing the previous record of 4,432 recorded in 2019.
TSA may impose civil penalties of up to $13,910 per violation per person. A typical first offense for carrying a loaded handgun into a checkpoint is $4,100. If a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges for a period of time.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are unloaded, packed separately from ammunition in a locked hardback case and declared at the airline check-in counter. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality. Travelers should check for firearm laws in the jurisdictions they are flying to and from.
TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.
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*Editor's Note: The video in the player above is from a previous report.