GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — For the 12th time in the last 13 years, agents with the Transportation Security Administration intercepted a record number of guns in 2022. In Michigan, confiscations trended up in Detroit and down in Grand Rapids.
According to the TSA, agents at Detroit Metro International Airport caught 100 guns at its airport checkpoints in 2022, up from 94 in 2021 and 44 in 2020 — the only year since 2010 where the TSA didn’t break the record set the previous year.
Just 12 firearms were recovered at Gerald R. Ford International Airport last year, down from 22 in 2021, 12 in 2020 and 10 in 2019. Agents at Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport intercepted one gun last year, two in 2021, zero in 2020 and two in 2019.
Jessica Mayle, a regional spokesperson for the TSA, said the data represents both a positive and negative. More intercepted firearms means agents are doing a better job keeping airports safe, while fewer catches could also be chalked up to riders being smarter and making sure to leave their weapons at home.
“We hope this information makes you feel a little more secure, because it is showing that our officers are very good at their job,” Mayle told News 8. “They’re stopping these weapons. They’re not making it onto the airplane. And even though people make this mistake, we have this really great system in place, trained, professional staffers who are able to find them.”
Many airports have stepped up their signage before security checkpoints to try and remind gun owners to double check their bags, while the TSA has taken steps to try and get the point across, as well.
The maximum federal fine was raised last year to $14,950, though Mayle said that’s usually only for people with multiple offenses. Also, passengers with PreCheck status — which allows them to skip certain types of screenings — can lose that privilege for up to five years.
Mayle calls it just another part of being a responsible gun owner.
“Overwhelmingly, people say it was an accident, that they didn’t mean to do that. And we just want to say responsible gun owners always know where their guns are. The consequences are the same. It’s incredibly dangerous and you still have this federal civil penalty,” she said.
Mayle said outside of signage and public service announcements playing in the airport, there’s only so much TSA agents can do to remind people to leave their guns at home before getting to the checkpoint.
“If you (accidentally bring your gun but) remember before you present your bag and walk back out to your car and bring your gun home, we would love for that to happen. You didn’t make the mistake and you’re not going to get the penalty,” she said.
She wanted to be clear, however, that there are ways to safely — and legally — travel with a gun.
“Go to our website — tsa.gov — and we spell all of this out,” Mayle said. “You want to check it with your baggage. So it needs to be in a locked, hard-sided case. It needs to be unloaded and ammunition needs to be separate. But if you’re going on a hunting trip or you have a legitimate reason for your firearm, that’s totally OK. We don’t want people to think we’re discouraging you from traveling with your gun. It just needs to be done the right way.”
Anyone traveling with a gun also needs to declare it with the airline. Forgetting to do that can also come with a federal fine.
“If you do need to do it, do it right. Go to our website and get the instructions. But if you don’t need your gun, just don’t bring it,” Mayle said.
