Argenbright will be nearly gone from U.S. airports next week, all but forced out of the business by a string of security breaches: Criminals were found working as screeners, gates were left unattended and weapons were taken aboard planes even after September eleventh, the day hijackers passed through security at gates guarded by Argenbright in Newark, New Jersey, and Washington.
The attacks and the lapses spurred the federal government to take over U.S. airport security. Passenger screening will be done by federal employees instead of security companies under contract to the airlines.
The Transportation Department is retaining more than 70 security companies until the government actually takes over screening in November. But it refused to work with Argenbright in the meantime.
A spokesman for the new Transportation Security Administration, Paul Turk, said ``What you didn't see was anybody going to bat for Argenbright.''
Before September eleventh, Argenbright had operations at 40 percent of U.S. airports and six-thousand screeners. Most of the company's 30 to 40 remaining contracts expire Monday, though Argenbright will continue at a half-dozen larger U.S. airports for several weeks.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/4/195866