The Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association (LAAPOA) supports yesterday’s decision by the Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC) to authorize Los Angeles World Airports to allow teams to submit bids for the construction of the new public safety building.

LAAPOA has been in discussions with airport leadership for the last 10 years regarding the need for a new police facility. As those responsible for protecting the highest-profile terrorist target on the West Coast and a key transportation mode for the region, airport police have long contended with having a building that does not properly house police officers and their equipment. 

The current LAX police facility was built in the 1950s and is in a state of disrepair. It cannot accommodate the necessary technology for police officers to do their jobs and has suffered numerous problems — the building’s air conditioning has broken multiple times; water damage has ruined many of the walls, leading to a mold infestation; and cosmetic-only painting enhancements have done nothing to alleviate the structural problems associated with a building that has not weathered its age. Despite these challenges, airport police have continued to perform their duties without fail.

“A new airport police facility at LAX is long overdue, and we thank CEO Deborah Flint, Chief David Maggard and Deputy Executive Director Patrick Gannon for prioritizing this issue and helping to see it through,” says Marshall McClain, president of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association. “This investment in airport police will ensure that we have the operational resources to perform our work to the best of our abilities. LAAPOA looks forward to continuing to work with CEO Flint, Chief Maggard and Deputy Executive Director Gannon to make certain that this process moves forward smoothly and that the goal of having construction begin in mid-to-late summer 2018, with completion in 2020, becomes a reality.”