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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 20, 2015
Media Contact:
Jasmyne Cannick, (323) 839-0216
As Summer Travel Season Approaches,
Airport Police Management Cuts Number of
Police Officers Checking Vehicles Entering LAX
With Operation Safe Entry Downsized, Public Safety is Compromised
LOS ANGELES, CA - As the summer travel is set to begin and at a time when aviation security is
under scrutiny at the nation’s second busiest airport, the union that represents the rank-and-file police
officers of the Los Angeles Airport Police Department (LAXPD) called attention today to the
department’s management’s decision to pull officers from the critical assignment of checking vehicles
entering LAX also known as Operation Safe Entry.
Operation Safe Entry or "vehicle checkpoints" have been a 12-officer position and in order to save
money was recently decreased to an 8-officer position. Operation Safe Entry is responsible for
checking over 50,000 vehicles annually and this new change means that the number of actual
checkpoints will also decrease.
With the continued and elevated threat of vehicle born bombs made by ISIS, ISIL and others who
wish to cripple commercial aviation, now isn't the time to pinch pennies on public safety while
spending extravagantly on beautification projects that may look great, may improve the traveling
experience but do nothing towards ensuring the safe and secure operation of our airports—which is
the mission statement of the Los Angeles Airport Police Department.
“An Associated Press investigative report just ranked LAX as having the third number of highest
perimeter breaches,” explained Marshall McClain, president of the Los Angeles Airport Peace
Officers’ Association. “Now is not the time to balance the budget at the cost of public safety at the
airport.”
He continued “Furthermore, as long as Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) continues to hire LAPD
officers to augment the LAXPD, LAWA should be prohibited from cutting or eliminating any overtime
or our staffing positions. If they have the money to contract out police services to the LAPD, they
have the money to pay the men and women assigned to the primary police department responsible
for public safety at the Los Angeles International Airport.”
In response to the cuts the union that represents the sworn police officers and firefighters of the
LAXPD assigned to protect and serve LAX, LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT) and Van Nuys
Airport (VNY) has filed an official claim of unfair employee relations practice.
The LAXPD staffing numbers are lower today than at their peak in 2010. Contributing to the
recruitment woes is that the current starting salary in 2015 is almost $10,000 dollars lower than it was
in 2009, not even keeping up with the cost of living. With increased passenger loads at LAX by more
than 10 million in the past 5 years, there’s no reason that Los Angeles Airport Police staffing numbers
should be lower than what they were five years ago.
Airport Police are not paid through any City or State tax dollars and are funded entirely by proprietary
airport landing fees and other airport related revenues.
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The Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers’ Association (LAAPOA) represents the sworn police officers
and firefighters of the Los Angeles Airport Police Department assigned to protect and serve Los
Angeles International Airport (LAX), LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT) and Van Nuys Airport
(VNY). For more information on LAAPOA, please visit www.LAAPOA.com.
Follow LAAPOA on Twitter @AirportPoliceLA and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/laapoa.