VOICES-Throughout its history, the Los Angeles Airport Police Department has faced repeated attempts by the LAPD to take over airport law enforcement duties — at least six since the 1970s, even though independent studies have consistently recommended that the forces not be merged.
Many citizens and community leaders also recognize the importance of ensuring that sufficient policing resources stay solely dedicated to airport security, out of the hands of City Hall politicians.
During the City charter reform efforts of 1999, Section 636 was added to specifically address this issue: “The Los Angeles Airport Police shall remain under the independent and autonomous control of the Department of Airports.”
The public voted to approve the charter in its entirety. The new provision should have been enough to guarantee LAXPD’s separate status, yet challenges to its autonomy have persisted.
When commercial air travel expanded rapidly at the dawn of the jet age in the early 1960s, assigning a detachment of LAPD officers to LAX was an expedient way for the City to supplement the dozen or so “special officers” who patrolled the airport.
But as the decades passed and threats of hijackings and terrorist attacks increased, the advantages of having a specially trained force focused on the airport’s unique security concerns became clear.
The availability of LAPD resources was often limited by events happening elsewhere in the city; for instance, LAPD officers were redeployed from LAX during the 1984 Olympics and the 1992 riots. As the department best positioned to provide a quick, unified on-site response, the airport police grew in numbers, professionalism and responsibilities.
Still, even after the LAXPD’s independence was enshrined in the charter, some City officials went on attempting to force a merger with LAPD. Measure A was placed on the ballot in 2005, calling for a charter amendment that would remove the Section 636 protections and pave the way for a takeover.
In an opposing editorial, the Los Angeles Times pointed out that a merger could endanger both the airport and the city. LAPD chiefs might “borrow” officers from LAX to respond to crises elsewhere, leaving the airport vulnerable, and it was also likely that increasing the LAPD’s obligations at LAX would siphon scarce officers away from the streets at a time when the city was struggling to rein in crime.
The article emphasized the specialized skills and expertise of the airport police: “Policing an airport is different from patrolling urban streets. It demands more patience, an intimate knowledge of airport operations and a ‘customer-service’ attitude that balances security and business interests.”
Voters overwhelmingly rejected Measure A at the polls, but the story didn’t end there. After a long struggle, LAXPD officers gained Penal Code 830.1 classification in 2013, achieving the same law enforcement status as the LAPD and other municipal police departments in the state.
Whereas they previously had to call in the LAPD for assistance with certain actions, they now have the legal authority to carry out all necessary duties to keep the airport safe.
Yet LAXPD continues to face power grabs by those seeking to undermine its autonomy. Although the people of Los Angeles have clearly mandated that LAX should have its own dedicated police force, there are still special interests that would attempt to have LAPD take command of the port and airport for the federal revenue these departments bring.”
A 2012 UCLA Department of Public Policy study, commissioned by Homeland Security Advisory Council President and CEO Ira Reiner, determined that the optimal law enforcement structure for Los Angeles International Airport would be to grant LAXPD (called “LAWAPD” in the report) “greater law enforcement control and authority for all aspects of daily policing at LAX, while LAPD would only provide tactical and emergency services at the airport (e.g. SWAT, bomb squad).
“In addition LAPD’s daily routines (traffic, patrols and standard policing) would be eliminated due to redundancy.
“We conclude that granting LAWAPD increased control over policing would improve the airport’s organizational structure because it would eliminate a number of problems associated with having two law enforcement agencies with overlapping jurisdictions and responsibilities.
“The new, streamlined organizational structure would improve communication, coordination, and overall airport law enforcement operations as to allow LAWAPD to better prevent and respond to a terrorist incident at LAX.”
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The ongoing merger battles, along with along with illegal revenue diversion, pay and benefit inequities, and inadequate investment in staffing and facilities, distract from LAXPD’s primary mission of protecting the traveling public.
It is a disservice to LA residents to keep wasting City resources by deploying LAPD officers to LAX when citizens have made it abundantly clear that they want an independently funded force specifically trained to patrol the airport — which we already have in the LAXPD. It is way past time to properly allocate the voter-approved resources and support needed for the airport police force to function at its highest level.
(Marshall McClain is the President of the LAAPOA. He can be reached at [email protected])
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 12 Issue 59
Pub: Jul 22, 2014
