After terminating its contract with the firm responsible for guarding secure areas of El Paso International Airport following ongoing violations and investigations by federal authorities, the city will hire temporary security companies while a new bid for the work is issued.
The violations involved inattentive guards, personal device use and failure to properly display badges for secure airport access, according to documents obtained by El Paso Matters through the Texas Public Information Act. Records also show guards skipped required TSA screenings, ID checks and aviation worker security screenings.
“The detail of the violations cannot (be shared) because that does expose the airport to the vulnerability and any perceived weaknesses,” Deputy City Manager and City Engineer Yvette Hernandez told El Paso Matters. “What I can say is that the airport followed all policies and procedures with regards to violations, with regards to working closely with TSA and given that there were these recorded notices it was best to terminate the contract.”…