LOS ANGELES — After calling for the replacement of LAXPD Chief of Airport Police Cecil W. Rhambo Jr. earlier this week, Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association (LAAPOA) officers who were working the ​late shift received a drop-by from three “important” visitors during roll call — Chief Rhambo himself and his bosses, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) CEO John Ackerman and Deputy Executive Director (DED) of Public Safety and Security Marin Elam.

Real Problems, No Solutions

The “C-Suiters,” however, did not read the fine print about LAAPOA’s leadership concerns. There was no discussion about resurrecting the popular and family-friendly condensed workweek schedule overwhelmingly supported by rank-and-file law enforcement, or advancements on fixing late paychecks or inaccurate overtime pay, or addressing 2023 pay raises.  

Instead, “management” informed its officers that they should be hopeful with the hiring of six new officers, claiming it was a net positive. The reality, however, is that the department is still down 100 officers.

This was particularly galling coming from Ackerman, who became CEO of LAWA in 2023 and has already received a $250,000 raise, tying him with the general manager of DWP as the highest-paid City employee with $750,000 base annual salary.  

DED Elam is in good company — since Ackerman started, he has now hired more new highly paid DEDs at LAWA than any of his predecessors. That is more than double the number of DEDs LAWA has ever had in its history, even when LAX was one of the top five busiest airports in the world. 

Meanwhile, Ackerman and Rhambo cannot recruit police officers. Somehow, their upper-management brain trust is not converting AI-produced police hiring PowerPoints into actual boots on the ground for policing at LAX.  

 Ackerman Up, LAX Down

In his two-year tenure, Ackerman has already expanded his management team with highly paid executives, but has yet to follow the process and have all of these exempt positions he’s hired approved by the mayor and City Council. While his paycheck and the wallets of his new management friends have expanded — a lot — passenger levels at LAX have not.

Of the airports serving Los Angeles County, Hollywood Burbank and Long Beach marked their highest-ever passenger levels in 2024. Long Beach increased by 11% and Burbank by 9%. Ontario Airport, once owned by LAWA, also had an increase of 10%. Yet LAX has not reached its pre-COVID passenger levels. Its second half of 2024 (under Ackerman’s tenure) was devastating. LAX has been downgraded from the second-busiest airport in the U.S. to the fifth.  

In April 2025, the International Airports Council (ACI World) reported a continued decline of passengers at LAX to 37.1 million in 2024. This is a huge decrease over the last decade, from 70.66 in 2014. Meanwhile, San Francisco International Airport has seen an 11% year-on-year increase and San Diego is seeing a 4.8% increase in passenger numbers.

Culture of Mismanagement and Unresolved Complaints

LAAPOA has also highlighted systemic problems within LAWA leadership that go beyond staffing and morale. The previous chief was the subject of nine lawsuits alleging racial, gender, retaliation and disability discrimination. Despite these serious allegations, neither LAWA nor city leaders placed the previous chief on leave or conducted independent investigations. LAAPOA warned that rank‑and‑file officers operate in an environment where retribution runs rampant and leaders are shielded from accountability. This culture of unresolved complaints and unfair labor practices underscores why command officers and the rank and file alike have lost confidence in existing leadership and are demanding change.

A series of LAAPOA reports titled “LAX Executives Defund the Police” explained that during the pandemic, LAWA expanded its management ranks while mismanaging police payroll and cutting budgeted police positions. Part 1 of the series documented that a pilot program offering a highly rank-and-file-supported condensed work schedule intended to boost morale was scrapped by Rhambo and C-suite executives, contributing to LAXPD staffing shortages.

Despite LAAPOA’s recommendations for recruiting incentives and morale‑boosting interactions, management’s response has fallen flat. Technical payroll processing errors continue to befall many officers who are paid late or inaccurately for overtime. Hundreds of officers and their families are still waiting to receive their 2023 contractual pay raises and vacation time banks replenished.  

Rhambo Must Go

“It is time for Chief Rhambo to go. His time has passed,” LAAPOA President Marshall McClain said. “Taking a leave during COVID to run for L.A. County sheriff within a year of becoming LAPD chief was a mistake. Bashing police during his campaign foretold his fourth-place finish. Returning to LAXPD fully checked out has been a disservice to all who report to him. That’s our first order of business. LAWA and LAXPD leadership need to reflect the times and right the ship. The World Cup is coming. The Olympics will be here. We have a short runway. It needs to happen.”