Protecting the Rights of First Responders Since 1982
There’s no question that our country’s health is in crisis. Year after year, the leading cause of death is heart disease, and the number of victims continues to grow annually. The obesity rate is also skyrocketing; medical professionals predict that by 2030, over half of our adult population will be obese. Law enforcement officers definitely don’t get a free pass when it comes to health.
Yesterday, 11 passengers breached a TSA screening checkpoint when a screening lane was left open and unmanned at JFK Airport’s JetBlue terminal. Even more unbelievable is that three of the passengers set off the metal detector yet were able to board their flights, since the Port Authority airport police were not informed by TSA of the security breach until two hours after the incident occurred.
A new report by the House Homeland Security Committee finds that current vetting procedures for airport employees are insufficient. The American Alliance of Airport Police Officers (AAAPO) has long called for stronger vetting of airport employees, particularly 100% screening of all airport employees, including TSA, and encourages lawmakers to help fix these gaps by enacting legislation.
With airports becoming ground zero for protests of the executive order temporarily banning refugees and citizens of seven countries from entering the U.S., the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association (LAAPOA) urges travelers, airport employees and protesters to remain respectful of each other as the second weekend of protests commences.
January is a time of possibility, as we open our fresh calendars, survey the blank pages and contemplate all the events yet to be written. Untold changes and challenges await us in the year ahead, and while it’s unrealistic to believe that the violence, terrorism and political conflict of 2016 are safely behind us for good, 2017 carries renewed potential for hope and healing.