Meanwhile, seven airport security workers were fired in the wake of the security breach, which drew the condemnation of the nation's largest flight attendant union.

United Airlines fired at least seven people -- security screeners and a supervisor -- after the incident with Gurung, according to Bond. Those employees worked for Argenbright Security Inc. That firm reached a settlement earlier in October with the Justice Department, in which it admitted it failed to complete court-ordered background checks on its employees.

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AHL Services, Inc. Issues Statement Regarding Argenbright Security, Inc.
ATLANTA, Sept. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- AHL Services, Inc. (Nasdaq: AHLS - news) issued a statement today correcting recent errors in reports regarding the ownership of Argenbright Security, Inc.

As previously announced, in December 2000 AHL Services sold Argenbright Security, Inc. to Securicor, PLC, and thereafter no longer provides any commercial or aviation security services.

SOURCE: AHL Services, Inc.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010913/atth005_1.html

Securicor PLC:
http://www.hemscott.com/equities/company/cd03099.htm

PAST PROBLEMS
A unit of Britain’s Securicor Group Plc, Argenbright was fined $1.2 million in October 2000 for numerous violations in Philadelphia, including falsifying records, performing inadequate background checks, and hiring airport workers with criminal records.
In court papers, the government accused Argenbright of potentially jeopardizing public safety and asked that the firm be found in violation of its probation.
The government also alleged that Argenbright had violated FAA regulations at 13 airports, including Dulles International outside Washington, Logan in Boston, New York’s LaGuardia, and Dallas-Fort Worth.
“Even though it was sentenced less than a year ago for an astonishing pattern of crimes that potentially jeopardized public safety, and despite this court’s order requiring it to fully implement all of the terms of its probation, defendant Argenbright has failed to do so and in fact has committed additional violations of the type which resulted in its prosecution last year,” the court petition said.
Argenbright President Bill Barbour said on Thursday he was puzzled by the new allegations and that the company planned to contest them.
Barbour said nearly all of the alleged violations occurred before the company changed its practices to meet FAA concerns.

http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:7pmJ1a2K5Ck:www.msnbc.com/news/631075.asp+Argenbright+Security,+Inc.&hl=en

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I'm all for private corporation involvement, but this company's not in it for the sake of security, but mostly for the interest and security of their stockholders.

Where security is concerned, the US should only deal with US based security companies, IMHO.

Marcia