Protecting the Rights of First Responders Since 1982
The Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers’ Association (LAAPOA), the union that represents the sworn police officers and firefighters assigned to all three of Los Angeles’ owned and operated airports, says its officers voted to approve a tentative agreement after working without a mutually agreed upon contract for six years.
Bayan Lewis has an extensive history of public service, including an Army and National Guard career from which he retired at the rank of lieutenant colonel; 34 years with the LAPD, where he retired as interim chief of police; and another five and a half years with the L.A. County Office of Public Safety, where as chief he was responsible for merging three independent County police agencies into one cohesive department.
The $5-billion Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP) at LAX, which will include a landside Automated People Mover, a Consolidated Rent-A-Car facility, multiple Intermodal Transportation Facilities, and a comprehensive network of roadway improvements, will help ensure LAX continues to be a world-class facility while also facilitating the movement of millions of travelers and employees into and out of the airport. However, with the expansion of these facilities, public safety must be at the forefront of consideration.
Representatives from the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers’ Association (LAAPOA) will appear Tuesday before the Innovation, Grants, Technology, Commerce and Trade Committee, which oversees airports and harbors, to offer comment on the re-occurring incidents of security breaches and vandalism at Van Nuys Airport. Councilman Bob Blumenfield who submitted a motion requesting the hearing chairs the committee.
Having served as Chief of the Los Angeles Airport Police from 1999 to 2005, Bernard Wilson possesses a wealth of experience and perspective on the challenges facing the Department. In the first portion of his interview with LAAPOA, he provided insights about equipment and infrastructure, officer hiring and retention, and the importance of pay and benefits parity.
Amid the ongoing safety concerns following the Brussels attacks, Wednesday at approximately 4:30am, another security scare took place at LAX. A male suspect breached the restricted access control and alarm monitoring system (ACAMS) doors in Terminal 1 and gained access to the airfield, which put him within reach of active airplanes.