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Models for Law Enforcement at Airports (2020)

Chapter: Chapter 12 - Considerations for Selecting Models

« Previous: Chapter 11 - Fixed-Post Response versus Flexible Response
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 12 - Considerations for Selecting Models." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Models for Law Enforcement at Airports. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25893.
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Page 51
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 12 - Considerations for Selecting Models." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Models for Law Enforcement at Airports. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25893.
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Page 51

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50 Considerations for Selecting Models Costs and Benefits The higher the level of response required, the higher the costs of implementing the chosen model. Proprietary airport police are the most expensive model but provide the highest level of responsiveness and control. Various models may represent cost savings, as was the case for the Boise Police Department, which in 2007 was evaluating a merger of the Boise Police Depart- ment and the Airport Police Services (Masterson, 2007). The recommendations for the merger centered on cost savings and improved standards and training (Masterson, 2007). The merger was approved in October 2007 (Council of the City of Boise, Idaho, 2007). Level of Control There are varying levels of control with different law enforcement models. Proprietary air- port police exhibit the highest level of direct control by the airport authority; outside groups are subject to the lowest level of direct control. The control of reporting LEOs is essential for the ability of police chiefs or directors to require the coordinated response of officers to emergen- cies, crimes, and other needs (The Grand Rapids Press, 2003). The appropriate level of control over LEOs includes an effective chain of command as well as the direct authority to manage or discipline the LEOs providing law enforcement or security at the airport (The Grand Rapids Press, 2003). Conversely, when civilians conduct tasks related to law enforcement, there is a perception of a lack of control and safety, as shown by the perception of Spokane’s decision to use civilian handlers for TSA-trained bomb detection K-9s (Sowa, 2005). While the decision was intended to stretch TSA dollars available for training and maintaining the K-9-handler teams, there was resistance to the plan among members of the Spokane Airport Police Association, who were concerned about the level of safety as well as the inability of the civilian handlers to issue a warrant and search bags or vehicles in a timely fashion (Sowa, 2005). During the debate about the merger of Los Angeles World Airports police officers and the Los Angeles Police Department, control and coordination also were a significant concern. Propo- nents believed that having one combined law enforcement force at Los Angeles World Airports would streamline and focus authority during emergencies, but opponents felt that a specialized airport force was best suited for policing Los Angeles World Airports (Gregor, 2005). Response Time Response time varies based on a fixed-post versus flexible response as well as the resources consistently available on airport property. For example, an article published in 2010 discusses the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on-property K-9 teams (McCartney, 2010). C H A P T E R 1 2

Considerations for Selecting Models 51 At that time, LAX had 30 dog and handler teams, primarily to check unattended bags around the airport. Before the K-9 teams were on property, suspicious baggage was reported to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) bomb squad, frequently leading to cordoning off areas and potentially evacuating terminals or grounding flights (McCartney, 2010). Once the K-9 teams are stationed on property, the K-9 team can quickly inspect the suspicious bag, and if the bag is safe, it can be directly removed to storage (McCartney, 2010). In this case, the response time is improved by the particular law enforcement practice of operating K-9 teams in-house. Speed of response is a determining factor of response time and is influenced by many other factors, such as communications technology, coordinated response planning, and unified response leads (Wall Street Journal, 2014) as well as established emergency response plans and fixed-post versus flexible-response policies. Liability The level of, and responsible party for, liability is an essential consideration when evaluating the appropriate type and level of law enforcement for an airport. In some cases, the owning authority carries final liability; in others, the outsourced security agents assume liability.

Next: Chapter 13 - Why Do Airports Change Models? »
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Each airport and its law enforcement model have a unique set of relationships, operations, and resources.

The TRB Airport Cooperative Research Program's ACRP Synthesis 107: Models for Law Enforcement at Airports provides a concise body of knowledge to assist airport management, operators, researchers, and users by detailing the varying types of law enforcement models available to them.

The types of airport law enforcement models include airport police, city police, county sheriffs, departments of public safety, and state police. Many airports operate by using layers of law enforcement responses composed of more than one law enforcement model.

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