2 security breaches in 10 days raise alarm at O'Hare International Airport
Two security breaches at O'Hare International Airport have raised serious questions about runway safety.
In May, a DoorDash driver entered the restricted area at O'Hare and ended up just a few feet away from a United Airlines plane on the tarmac. Now, the Chicago Department of Aviation has confirmed that another incident took place within 10 days of the first — and a second investigation is now under way.
On May 27, sources said a Chicago Department of Aviation security officer was assigned to a perimeter checkpoint at O'Hare with direct airfield access — and allowed dozens of drivers to enter without swiping their ID to make sure they had a valid credential.
"If you're coming through a secure checkpoint that's leading to a secure area, each vehicle needs to be inspected, drivers need to be identified — and they have to be allowed through based on their secure access," said Thomas Herion.
Herion, now the chief of police in west suburban Lyons, was an assistant commissioner at the Chicago Department of Aviation Security Division for nearly a decade — from 2009 to 2019.
"If you're not stopping those vehicles, and those vehicles are allowed to access without any type of screening, you have no idea who is in the vehicle, and you have no idea what's in the vehicle," Herion said.
Herion emphasized the potential dangers of a security breach.
"Well, we're, you know, we're in a situation of heightened — and O'Hare Airport is always a concern, because it's always target like any large airport is," Herion said.
He said he would not want to see any vehicle that gets in without security knowing who or what it contains getting close to commercial jets or sensitive areas of the airport.
Sources said more than 50 cars went through the checkpoint without any of the occupants swiping their O'Hare ID for entry on May 27, and it was all caught on camera.
Herion said hiring requirements for Chicago Department of Aviation security officers has changed over the years. In the past, officers were trained in a police academy environment, but now, the requirement is a GED with internal training.
"I'm sure there's a lot of good personnel that they hired. But when you have to meet a certain threshold — when you have to get through the state, get through the Chicago Police Academy and pass the state exam — there's a lot of different things you need to do physically, mentally, and personally, and right now, they're not doing that," Heroin said, "and when you're protecting direct access to the airfield, that concerns me a lot."
The Chicago Department of Aviation issued a statement saying:
"Safety and security are the top priorities of the CDA. The CDA is aware of the May 27 incident involving a CDA security officer and has referred the matter to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for investigation. The CDA will offer no further comment while the TSA's investigation is underway.
"Following the May 17 incident, CDA leadership met with contractor Lincoln Security to review the situation and also referred the matter to TSA. The employee involved is no longer employed by Lincoln Security, and their airport credentials have been terminated by the CDA."
It was 10 days earlier on May 17 when a food delivery driver went through a different checkpoint and ended up in a secure area on the airfield.
In a statement on that incident, the Department of Aviation said: "Following the May 17 incident, CDA leadership met with contractor Lincoln Security to review the situation and also referred the matter to TSA. The employee involved is no longer employed by Lincoln Security, and their airport credentials have been terminated by the CDA."
Sources said after that first incident, everyone controlling checkpoints was put on notice. Still, that second security breach happened 10 days later.
Herion said the TSA could fine the city as much as $10,000 per incident, so that could amount to $500,000. A TSA spokesperson said that agency has regulatory oversight, and can also levy civil penalties in these incidents.
As to the security officer who let the vehicles through the checkpoint, the Department of Aviation referred questions to the TSA about whether the security officer was disciplined. The TSA in turn would only say the investigation is ongoing.
