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Chicago Prosecutors Push for Tougher Penalties After Airport Foul-Up
CHICAGO, Nov 7 (News Agencies) - City prosecutors moved to beef up state penalties for passengers caught trying to smuggle weapons onto airplanes Wednesday, following a weekend incident at Chicago's O'Hare airport which revealed glaring gaps in airport security.
Cook County State's Attorney Richard Devine said he would be pressing Illinois lawmakers to introduce legislation that would mandate longer jail terms for anyone found trying to get bombs, firearms or knives on board commercial jets.
"The current law is woefully weak," Devine said in a statement, adding that his proposed bill "would plug what we see as a huge gap in the fight to contain terrorism."
The initiative, which comes as federal lawmakers work to overhaul aviation security in the wake of the September 11 attacks, was prompted by an incident Saturday at O'Hare International Airport which frustrated local officials and infuriated Norman Mineta, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation.
A 27-year-old Nepalese native, traveling to Omaha, Nebraska, was caught trying to carry seven knives, a stun gun and a can of mace onto a plane in his carry-on luggage Saturday.
But Subash Gurung was charged and released on bond, because trying to board a plane with a weapon is only a misdemeanor charge under state law, carrying a maximum penalty of a year in jail.
It was only after federal authorities intervened on Sunday and re-arrested Subash when he went back to O'Hare to reclaim his luggage that he was charged with a more serious felony offense.
Devine, whose agency has jurisdiction over the city of Chicago and some of its surrounding suburbs, including the one where O'Hare is located, hopes the tougher penalties proposed in this legislation would prevent similar situations occurring in the future.
Under his proposal, anyone trying to get an offensive weapon onto an airplane would face between seven and 30 years in prison under state law, depending on the type of the weapon.
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