BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) – A Massachusetts law banning all knives on airplanes trumps the Transportation Security Administration's new policy which would allow pocket knives on planes as soon as April 25.
The TSA introduced the policy earlier this month and incurred some serious backlash; however, the Bay State made it a felony to bring a cutting device on a plane in the months following 9/11.
In fact, a passenger could face up to five years in prison for attempting to bring a knife through security in Massachusetts.
Peter DiDominica wrote the law when he was a state trooper working as the Director of Aviation Security at Logan International Airport. Beacon Hill lawmakers passed it in 2002 and it's been on the books ever since.
The TSA says it's the responsibility of passengers to comply with state and local laws and those local laws may prohibit possession of pocket knives.
A spokesperson for Attorney General Martha Coakley told FOX 25 that, "TSA's own interpretation is that stricter state laws will continue to apply, and we have no reason to question that interpretation. State police would be the agency to enforce that law when violations occur."
The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office had a similar response.
"State law regarding knives in secure airport areas will still hold. Passengers are, of course, asked to use common sense when packing for air travel."
With that being said, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts State Police said troopers will be urged to utilize discretion when it comes to seeking charges in the wake of the discovery of a pocket knife.
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