JFK Airport security breach prompts nationwide concern

(FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) - A jet-skier who became stranded in Jamaica Bay easily breached JFK's security system by walking undetected through two runways and into a terminal.  The breach has prompted officials at Logan International Airport in Boston to take a closer look at the airport's security system.

Daniel Castillo, 31, of Queens swam to shore and then walked past motion sensors and closed-circuit cameras of the airport's state-of-the art Perimeter Intrusion Detection System. The $100 million system is meant to safeguard against terrorists, reports The New York Post.

Castillo approached a Delta Airlines worker, who alerted authorities; however, he went undetected up until that point. 

The story caught the attention of Massachusetts Congressman Bill Keating.  Keating voiced his airport security concerns and said he wants to see nationwide improvements.

"What would happen if it were a trained terrorist? How many signals, how many warnings do we have to have? This is one more. One of these times it's going be something with different motivations," Keating said.

Even though Logan and JFK are similar in that they are both surrounded by water on three sides, it is unclear if a similar breach could happen in Boston. 

For security reasons, officials at Logan would not disclose what type of perimeter protection system the airport uses; however, they did say that it is a multi-layered system and works using technology, capital investments, and manpower.  It is not the same Raytheon system used at JFK.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is investigating. The agency says it has increased patrols on the ground and in the water and plans to meet with the security system's maker this week.

In 2010, the Port Authority for New York and New Jersey actually sopped paying Raytheon for the system because it had so many problems, including false alarms being set off by squirrels.

Cox Media Group