San Francisco International upgrades security standards
SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU and wires) – San Francisco International Airport officials announced a series of improvement s Thursday aimed at making it harder to breach the West Coast travel hub's security system.
On the same day an Associated Press investigative report revealed that the airport led the nation in security breaches since 2004, officials said they have increased security patrols, added infrared cameras and improved the facility's motion detection system among other measures.
According to the report there were more than 270 security breaches between 2004 and 2015 nationwide.
Of those 37 happened at San Francisco International with another 20 taking place at Mineta San Jose International. Both were in the top five nationally.
Just last month a homeless woman was arrested after allegedly walking onto the airport's tarmac area.
Prosecutors say Adriana Anabela Monterroso-Santos had plans to stow away on a plane to Central America when she wandered on to the tarmac on March 13th.
‘We know she walked out there," San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told KTVU Fox 2. "The first time anybody saw her there was an airport employee who said there's a woman out there and she's waving her arm."
Wagstaffe said the 42-year-old woman was living in a homeless shelter near the airport. She told authorities she came to the Bay Area to find a job.
Monterroso-Santos has pleaded not guilty to trespassing charges.
Another homeless woman – 62-year-old Marilyn Hartman – was taken into custody seven times at San Francisco International trying to illegally board planes.
She finally managed to sneak onto a flight at Mineta San Jose International and take a flight to Los Angeles where she was taken into custody and ordered by a judge to stay away from Los Angeles International Airport.
Airport officials said they would meet with the operators of homeless shelters near the airport to work out plans to prepare their residents from wandering onto the airport's secure areas
Mineta San Jose International also garnered headlines last April when a 16-year-old Santa Clara boy eluded airport security and stowed away in the wheel well of a Hawaiian Airlines flight to Maui in.
The teen lost consciousness for the flight due to lack of oxygen and remained unconscious for an hour after the plane landed at 10:30 a.m. in Maui.
An hour after landing the boy stepped out of the wheel well and onto the tarmac.
Once on the tarmac, airport and security personnel approached the boy. He was escorted off the tarmac and taken into custody by police and FBI officials.