St. Petersburg, Florida -- Police are asking for the public's help after a pilot's jacket -- including his federal security badges -- was stolen from a car parked outside his home.
The theft has raised possible security concerns, not because of the coat itself, but because of what was attached to it.
"Of course it concerns me," said a woman coming off of a flight Thursday at Tampa International Airport.
Passengers at TIA were reacting to word that more than a week ago now, the Southwest Airlines pilot had his flight jacket stolen out of his car which he had accidentally left unlocked in front of his St. Petersburg home, say investigators.
The unidentified pilot's Transportation Security Administration and Federal Aviation Administration security badges were both still attached to the jacket, and are also now missing.
"And then they go through without being checked. Yeah, that's kind of a concern," said passenger Deborah Robinson.
"They might use them to get on a plane, hijack a plane, whatever, you know?" added Tony Robinson.
St. Petersburg police say at this point there's no reason to believe that the theft is part of an organized plot.
"The TSA has been notified about the situation, and they certainly are on the alert, not just for situations like this," said police spokesman Mike Puetz, "But any kind of credentials that may be forced or used to perpetrate some sort of terrorist act. But we don't think that's the case in this situation."
For its part, officials at Tampa international Airport say there's no indication that one of its IDs are among those taken, but that they do have the ability to electronically turn off access to sensitive areas.
Also, the airport says almost all of its critical access points have a keypad requiring a personal identification number.
The TSA says pilot badges issued by the Airline Pilots Association grant different levels of access at different airports.
Although pilots can often bypass security, they still have to show their ID to an agent.
A TSA spokesperson tells 10 News that an individual would have to be the pilot's "twin" to use it.
"Clearly, whoever possesses this, is not going to look like the pilot in this particular case," said Puetz.
Police say it's more likely that the jacket was stolen by someone who didn't realize what they were taking at the time, and are asking anyone who may spot it to call them.
