Protecting the Rights of First Responders Since 1982
Traffic stops are some of the most frequent and visible encounters that take place between citizens and police, and the experience has potential to be stressful on both sides. In the wake of a surge in high-profile cases of traffic stops gone terribly wrong — with deadly results for officers and suspects — preventing routine situations from escalating into violent confrontations is more important than ever.
The last several years have seen a rise in violence, particularly violence towards law enforcement, and the past several months have been plagued by divisiveness. With the elections tomorrow, the American Alliance of Airport Police Officers (AAAPO) encourages everyone to vote, and when the dust settles, either way, police must be supported.
The Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association (LAAPOA) is alarmed at a highly irresponsible and dangerous proposal on the November 8 ballot. Billed as the Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act, and supported and developed by Governor Jerry Brown, this initiative is designed to ease prison overcrowding by releasing supposed “nonviolent” offenders from state penitentiaries (perhaps not coincidentally saving the governor millions of dollars in his budget in the process).
The American Alliance of Airport Police Officers (AAAPO) denounces the killings of Sherriff’s Sergeant Steve Owen of the Los Angeles County Sherriff’s Department, Officer Blake Snyder of the St. Louis County Police Department and Palm Springs Officers Jose Gilbert Vega and Lesley Zerebny, all of whom were killed in the line of duty this past week.
Day in and day out police officers across the United States come face to face with threats and danger in the normal course of their jobs. This is unlike many other professions and not the path most would choose. The American Alliance of Airport Police Officers (AAAPO) would like to remind our neighbors in our communities that law enforcement officers are here to help, not hurt.
According to a recent study, ten U.S. passenger airlines collectively reported a pre-tax profit of approximately $12 billion in the first half of 2016, up $700 million when compared to the same time last year. While the American Alliance of Airport Police Officers (AAAPO) is glad to hear that air travel is on the rise, and that airlines and airports are seeing more business, we have to wonder why airport security is still an issue that remains on the back burner.