Tampa, Fla. (970 WFLA)- Transportation Security Administration officers at airports across the state of Florida have discovered 440 firearms at security checkpoints in 2017 as of November 20th, surpassing the total of 411 firearms found last year.
The increase in firearms at security checkpoints isn’t specific to Florida. A total of 3,733 guns have been found by TSA officers at checkpoints nationwide through November 13th of this year.
Mark Howell of the Transportation Security Administration at Tampa International Airport, says the number of weapons taken by security screeners jumped from 79 last year to 86 so far this year. Howell says most passengers say they simply forgot to check their weapon.
A total of 3,391 firearms were detected by TSA at U.S. airport checkpoints in 2016, up from 2,653 in 2015.
Firearms may be transported in checked baggage (provided they are declared to the airline, in a proper carrying case and unloaded), they are prohibited in carry-on bags.
TSA would like to remind passengers that it is important for them to thoroughly search their bags for any potential dangerous weapons or prohibited items before departing for the airport.
Safety is the first concern of the TSA, and having these items in bags that are traveling with you on the aircraft is dangerous to other travelers and can be easily mistaken as an intentional attempt to bring a prohibited item onto an aircraft.
Passengers are responsible for the contents of bags they bring to the checkpoint and TSA’s advice is to look through bags thoroughly before coming to the airport to make sure there are no illegal or prohibited items.