Stopping Human Trafficking in Transit

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. Read More »

Los Angeles Airport Police Enter Third Round of Contract Negotiations

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. Read More »

Functioning Cars Drive Safety

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. Read More »

More Travelers, Less Officers

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. Read More »

Drones are coming. Are we ready?

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. Read More »

It’s Time to Tackle Airport Police Inequity

Last year, we addressed pay and pension inequality issues in the context of LAXPD’s “separate but equal” status compared to the LAPD, and how lesser benefits negatively affect recruitment and retention efforts and ultimately hamper officers’ ability to provide the highest level of airport security. We also pointed out how the pay disparity plays out in the form of gender inequality, with highly qualified, higher-ranking female airport officers being paid less than the LAPD officers whom they train. Read More »

LAXPD Protects Travelers. We shield you.

The Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Police Department is the local law enforcement agency that patrols and secures LAX, Ontario and Van Nuys airports, and serves as the first line of defense in preventing terrorist attacks, hijackings and other public safety emergencies at our airports. The LAXPD protects travelers, airport employees and our surrounding communities. Read More »

The Pension Battle Subsides…for Now

On January 18, former San Diego City Councilman Carl DeMaio and former San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed announced their decision not to go forward this year with either of their statewide ballot initiatives attacking public employee pensions. This sounds like great news for labor unions — and indeed, the fact that these poorly written, extreme and destructive measures failed to inspire donors to cough up the $3 million needed to gather qualifying signatures, let alone the $25 million that would then be required to wage a campaign, is a promising sign. Read More »