nbc s tom costello has more. reporter: for nearly 2 million passengers every day, the tsa and its 755 checkpoints are the most visible reminder of 9/11. and the threat says the tsa chief, hasn t changed much. those who are able to design and construct and conceal bombs that simply don t look like bombs reporter: since 9/11 there have been serious attempts to bring down planes. the 2001 shoe bomb attempt, the 2006, the christmas day underwear bomber in 2009 and last year s cargo bomb plot. from undercover air marshals to armed pilots, 40,000 tsa screeners, bans on liquids and gels, shoes off, laptops out, a watch list, controversies over full-body imageers and those personal patdowns, flying is nothing like it was ten years ago. what brings you to the airport today?
9/11 in preventing future attacks. well, alex, good morning. it has been absolutely critical. it s been the most emblematic part of our response to 9/11. tsa s screened 5 billion passengers, 4 billion pieces of luggage, deployed advance x-ray technology for baggage, armed pilots, put federal air marshals out there and done any number of things, 800 bomb dog teams and on and on it goes. it has been a remarkable response and an excellent ten-year record that has really taken the risk of a terrorist threat to aviation much, much lower than it otherwise could have been. where does the tsa fall short? i think they fall short in some of the discretion that the officers have at the checkpoint.
armed pilots, but that still left passengers and port authority police concerned. there are a lot of scenarios that could have went on and this is something that needs to be addressed immediately. how can they miss it? i had a thorough check. they are checking down on security. you would think something big like that would be noticed. your shampoo, example, that lays it out. despite the f.b.i. preliminary find leg is no evidence of planned attack, one security expert told me, how that device got aboard it has to be determined quickly? there is an existing loophole it better be shut down immediately. shep? shepard: i don t, i can t get a ring through the thing. or a bracelet. crazy. thousands standing around and they are busy. thank you like from new york, thank you. the jury may is acquitted casey