SEATAC, Wash. - When you fly into Sea-Tac International Airport you may notice extra security patrols around the baggage carousels. Port of Seattle police commander Bill McAteer says that is intentional.
The department increases visible and undercover patrols when it sees a rise in baggage theft reports. McAteer says some of the stolen luggage has been recovered at bus stops and hotels around the Airport.
On August 10th, KING 5 captured video of a similar increase in officers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees patrolling the baggage claim area. At the time an airport official called the patrols," Everyday Enforcement." So KING 5 made a public records request and we found 20 stolen luggage complaints in that week alone. A large portion of the reports were bags taken from passengers on Alaska and Southwest Airlines.
Yelm High School student Mariah Combs says her bag was stolen after she flew back from a summer vacation in California on a Horizon flight,
"I went to the baggage station where it was supposed to be coming out," said Combs. "I didn't see it for 45 minutes so I got a little worried."
The 17-year-old filled out a police report and the bag was recovered that night at a nearby bus stop. Missing from the bag was jewelry, her blackberry and her expensive digital camera with all of her pictures from her California trip," I will never get that back" she said.
It also happened to Baptist minister Robert Dibble. He flew in from Richmond, Virginia for the birth of his 9th grandchild. Dibble says he arrived at the Southwest baggage claim before the bags started coming out.
"I was standing where they came down the shoot, it (his bag) never came down the shoot," Dibble said. "I am guessing the bag was taken before the other bags were offloaded."
Police found the bag a day later at a bus stop but without the valuables.
In addition to the bus stop, discarded and apparently stolen bags have been found just across the street from the airport at the DoubleTree Hotel. The head of security for the hotel told K5 officers found a garbage bag full of suspected stolen items as well as two bags with their airport tags still attached.
McAteer says detectives are looking to see if thieves are stealing baggage right off the carousels or if the crimes are occurring between where the bags are taken off the planes and before they arrive at the baggage claim area.
"We have had cases of employees were arrested and charged with committing theft at the airport. Yes there are several thousand employees here and unfortunately there is opportunity and unfortunately some people take advantage of the opportunities," said McAteer.
No arrests have been made in the recent spike of cases.
The airport says it is increasing security patrols and has surveillance cameras behind the scenes. Each year the department receives about 300 baggage theft reports out of 50 million bags that pass through the airport every year. McAteer says the best way passengers can protect themselves is by packing valuables in their carry-on luggage,
"One, I strongly suggest they don't pack high value items. No checkbook, credit cards, cash," cautions McAteer.
