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![handle is hein.journals/jtransps14 and id is 1 raw text is: Journal of Transportation Security (2021) 14:1-18
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12198-020-00214-2
The rising prevalence of weapons in unsafe arming Gheckfor
configurations discovered in American airports
S. Towers' - B. Amdouni' - R. Cordova2 - K. Funderburk' - C. Montalvo-
M. Thakur1 . J. Velazquez-Molina' - C. Castillo-Chavez'
Received: 16 August 2019 /Accepted: 1 July 2020! Published online: 21 August 2020
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that Americans appear to be increasingly owning and
carrying firearms for personal protection, and are increasingly storing their firearms
loaded. However, the prevalence of firearm carry and/or storage behaviors with a round
chambered has not hitherto been studied in any context, including among airline
passengers. We analyze firearms detected at Transportation Security Administration
(TSA) airport security check-points between 2012 to 2017, to examine geospatial and
temporal trends in the prevalence of unsafe arming configuration in detected firearms.
The fraction of detected firearms found to be loaded has risen significantly since 2012,
with 3.9% [1.2%, 6.7%] relative increase in odds per year (Beta Binomial regression,
p = 0.011). States with firearm child access prevention laws have significantly fewer
firearms found by the TSA to be loaded (p = 0.039). The fraction of loaded firearms
found by the TSA to also have a round chambered has also risen significantly since
2012, with 5.3% [2.7%,7.9%] relative increase in odds per year (Beta Binomial
regression, p <0.001). By 2017, 36% of firearms found loaded were also found to
have a round chambered. Some Americans appear to be increasingly using and storing
firearms in unsafe arming configurations. This poses potential risks to airport security
personnel and other travelers in airports. Understanding the geospatial patterns in these
risks can help guide optimization of regional screening practices and optimal econom-
ical allocation of TSA resources.
Keywords Firearms - Arming configuration - Firearm storage - Firearm carry - Round
chambered - Airline passengers
W S. Towers
smtowers@asu.edu
Simon A. Levin Mathematical, Computational and Modeling Sciences Center, Arizona State
University, Tempe, AZ, USA
2 School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
t_ Springer](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.journals/jtransps14&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)