ROANOKE (WSLS 10) - The Transportation Security Administration is warning local police about its new airport pat-down procedure.
At issue, the more invasive pat-down could cause some passengers to report what happened to authorities.
The TSA website notes that officers can use the back of their hands to pat down what it calls "sensitive areas" of the body.
Similar pat-downs with the front of the hand may also be done on what the TSA calls "limited cases."
Some people say the new procedure boosts security while others disagree.
Aviation security consultant Jeff Price says, "The more invasive screening will be more thorough. it will be harder to get something through security. The downside of that is how much more of our personal privacy are we willing to give up."
The change comes after the TSA failed to detect fake firearms that were smuggled through security checkpoints 95-percent of the time during an audit two years ago.