Protecting the Rights of First Responders Since 1982
Last November, data released by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department showed that Los Angeles County has the highest population of chronically homeless in the entire country, with a disturbing increase of 55% from 2013 to 2015. About 70% of L.A.’s homeless are unsheltered versus sheltered individuals, translating to over 12,500 people living on the city streets and 44,300 countywide.
The following statement is from the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers’ Association (LAAPOA), which 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) regarding contract negotiations.
On February 9, San Francisco authorities announced that seven teenagers, some as young as 14, had been rescued from forced prostitution in the Bay Area during Super Bowl week. Similar crackdowns tend to make headlines whenever sports championships come to town, because such large events are said to draw increased sex trafficking. While law enforcement and activists frequently focus on these high-profile occasions to raise awareness, the sad reality is that human trafficking is an everyday problem in communities across the nation, and constant vigilance is required to combat it — particularly at our airports.
On February 24, the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers’ Association (LAAPOA), which 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), will enter into its third round of contract mediations while all of the City’s other law enforcement agencies including the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Port Police have received their contracts.
While the Los Angeles International Airport is a world class, state of the art facility, the patrol vehicles used by the officers of the LAXPD are run-down and unsafe. Airport police deserve better than second-rate and hand-me-down squad cars to protect the millions of passengers who pass through our airport.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is on par to, if not larger than, many small cities. It is the 2nd busiest airport in the country, served a record-breaking 74.9 million passengers in 2015, is undergoing a massive expansion of its international terminal and landside areas and continues to be the #1 terrorist target on the west coast. Despite the significant passenger loads and dynamic environment, there are less officers patrolling the airport today than in 2010.
The airspace in and around LAX is ground zero for drone-related incidents. While the growing number of sightings between drones and airplanes have, for now, only been close encounters, it is just a matter of time before something more serious, and potentially tragic, takes place. With the FAA’s announcement this week that there are more registered drones than there are registered airplanes, we must act now.