157,486 / 35.4% Yes votes ...... 287,708 / 64.6% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Security, law enforcement and Airport Police. Several entities contribute to security and law enforcement at airport facilities. Federal law is a factor in airport operations, and federal authorities must approve any security plan. The Airport Police agency was created to be responsible for law enforcement at the city's airports. It is required by the charter to remain under the Airports Department's independent and autonomous control. Functions that cannot be provided by the Airport Police are contracted out. The FBI and the National Transportation Security Agency have duties, and the Los Angeles Police Department maintains a substation at LAX, with approximately 56 officers. This complex situation has led to some concern about confusion and coordination of safety and security functions.

Changes contained in Charter Amendment A. This amendment would permit security and law enforcement powers to be transferred away from the Department of Airports by action of the mayor and the council. The transfer need not be permanent, since the amendment would permit the return of those transferred powers. The section of the charter titled Airport Police would become Airport security and Law Enforcement. The requirement that the airport police remain under the sole control of the Department of Airports would be deleted.

This amendment does not require any transfers of security duties or powers. If, however, changes are made, a clear agreement would be required spelling out how the Dept of Airports would pay the newly designated agency for its services, and how the two entities would work together.

Support, opposition, and arguments. Some of the questions arising out of the sometimes confusing situation include: what is the best model for policing an airport, who is in charge, and what changes would be both effective and efficient.

This measure has already sparked heated disagreements among various city officials. The main point of conflict is whether law enforcement at the airports should become the responsibility of the LAPD, or should continue to be the responsibility of an independent Airport Police agency. The present and former chiefs of police (Bratton and Parks) strongly support the measure, believing that a unified command of law enforcement functions is needed: one city, one police force. Supporters also believe that there is confusion now about who is in charge; they say that this amendment would allow clear lines of authority to be developed. Supporters reject a "hybrid" model of safety functions.

Opponents claim that expertise in the needs of a large airport is essential and cannot be provided by the LAPD. They also object to giving additional power over the airports to distant elected officials ("politicians"). Opponents include members of the airport police and some officials of the airports.

On April 6, the Los Angeles Times reported on a hearing about a study commissioned by the Department of Airports. The study, which recommended against merging the police duties at the airport, was attacked by city officials as incomplete and based on inaccuracies. The article makes it clear that the two sides are far apart in their viewpoints on an issue that has become emotional.

The Department of Airports is one of three departments that the City Charter refers to as "proprietary departments," because they generate their own funds and manage and control their own assets. The Charter currently does not allow the Mayor or Council to transfer any authority of these departments to any other departments, offices or boards.

The Department of Airports owns and operates four airports-Los Angeles International Airport, Van Nuys Airport, Ontario International Airport and Palmdale Regional Airport. Airport operations, revenues and expenditures are regulated in large part by federal law. Federal law also requires that an airport safety plan be approved by federal authorities.

The Airport Police, a law enforcement agency created by the Department of Airports, is responsible, along with other local and federal law enforcement agencies, for the safety and security of airport travelers, workers and others. The Charter specifies that the Airport Police must be under the independent and autonomous control of the Department of Airports. This Charter provision prevents the Mayor and Council from reorganizing the Airport Police function and consolidating policing and security functions with other law enforcement agencies if such a reorganization is determined to be in the interests of the City.

The proposed Charter amendment would remove the requirement that the Airport Police remain under the control of the Department of Airports and, if this policing role is transferred to another law enforcement agency, require the Department of Airports to pay the other agency for the police services provided. Also, any police functions transferred from the Department of Airports to another department or other entity could be transferred back to the Department.

Approval of the Charter change would not in itself result in any reorganization, and no decision has been made to undertake any reorganization. The Department of Airports has commissioned a study of the Airport Police function. Once the study is completed, the Board of Airport Commissioners, Council and Mayor would consider its results and may, if appropriate, propose a reorganization of the Airport Police function.

Under the proposed Charter amendment, a transfer of policing and security functions from the Department of Airports to another department or agency could occur in two ways: (1) a proposal by the Mayor approved by an ordinance requiring a two-thirds vote of the City Council. If the Council fails to act in 45 days, the Mayor's proposal, including a proposed ordinance and all other required documents to make the transfer, would become effective; or (2) a proposal by the Council approved by adoption of an ordinance requiring a two-thirds vote of the Council. In this case, the Mayor could veto the ordinance and the Council could override any such veto by a three-fourths vote.

Any transfer of policing or security functions from the Department of Airports to another governmental entity would require execution of a contract between the Department of Airports and the other governmental entity, detailing how the two entities would work together and establishing the process by which Airports would pay for the police services to be provided by the other agency.

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• Print Media Available on the Internet

• Talk of the City - scroll to Wednesday, May 4
  

  Kitty Felde Interviews Raphe Sonenshein, Professor of Political Science at CSU Fullerton, on Charter Amendments A & B
  

'No on A to Protect L.A.'

NOTE: The League of Women Voters Education Fund is philosophically and legally committed to a policy of presenting both sides of all ballot measures. We welcome 'Yes on A' advocates to use our 'Suggest a link' feature (see below).

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is one of the world's busiest passenger and cargo airports, contributing billions of dollars to the Los Angeles economy. With more than 55 million travelers annually, LAX's high profile location has been identified as a top terrorist target. To determine how best to protect the traveling public and vital economic engine that LAX represents, we need the ability to modify and improve policing and security services at LAX without interference from unnecessary restrictions. YES ON CHARTER AMENDMENT A WILL MAKE THIS POSSIBLE.

The current City Charter was written before the September 11, 2001 attacks. Unfortunately, it prohibits any change to the delivery of police or security services by anyone outside of the LAX Police Department. Los Angeles deserves a City Charter that allows the Mayor and City Council to determine the best means of protecting LAX and the traveling public. YES ON CHARTER AMENDMENT A WILL MAKE THIS POSSIBLE.

Should an emergency occur at LAX, whether a terrorist act or other threat to public safety, clear lines of responsibility and authority to protect the public and restore operations are needed. YES ON CHARTER AMENDMENT A WILL MAKE THIS POSSIBLE.

As the City continually reviews its policing and security services at LAX, YES on Amendment A will change the City Charter to allow for the immediate implementation of the best security and policing recommendations. WITHOUT THIS CHARTER AMENDMENT, MAKING THESE CHANGES MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE.

• YES on Charter Amendment A will remove obstacles to improving security at LAX.

/s/

COUNCILMEMBER JACK WEISS
Former Assistant United States Attorney

WILLIAM J. BRATTON
Chief of Police, Los Angeles Police Department

LEE BACA
Los Angeles County Sheriff

COUNCILMEMBER BERNARD C. PARKS
Chief of Police (ret.), Los Angeles Police Department

AMY ZEGART
Terrorism and National Security Studies Professor, UCLA

ALEX PADILLA
President, Los Angeles City Council

COUNCILMEMBER GREIG SMITH
Reserve Officer, Los Angeles Police Department

DAVID S. CUNNINGHAM III
President, Board of Commissioners, LAPD

RABBI ABRAHAM COOPER
Associate Dean , Simon Wiesenthal Center

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Arguments printed on this page are the opinions of the authors and are not checked for accuracy by any City agency.

STOP POLITICIANS from taking control of Airport Security.
Charter Amendment A proponents say this measure "allows the Mayor and the City Council to determine the best means of protecting LAX and the traveling public."

WHICH MEANS...

Charter Amendment A strips airport security oversight from ON-SITE AVIATION EXPERTS and gives it to DOWNTOWN POLITICIANS.

ADDITIONALLY...

Charter Amendment A DOESN'T PUT MORE POLICE ON OUR STREETS.

RAND SECURITY EXPERTS SAY: "LAX IS ONE OF THE SAFEST PLACES IN LOS ANGELES."

KEEP AIRPORT SECURITY WITH AVIATION SECURITY EXPERTS. Airport supervisors currently control airport security.

• They're AVIATION EXPERTS, with experience and authority to implement emergency responses to security threats.

• Mobilizing 20 security agencies at LAX, including FBI, LAPD--and the LAX Airport Police--the only fully aviation-trained and fully- dedicated police force at LAX.

/s/

LYDIA H. KENNARD
Immediate Past Executive Director, Los Angeles World Airports

JOHN J. DRISCOLL
Executive Director (ret.), Los Angeles World Airports

PROFESSOR HARVEY N. MORLEY
Department of Criminal Justice
California State University, Long Beach

OFFICER GEORGE HOLT
Aviation SWAT Instructor, Solutions Group International

OFFICER GEORGE JARVIS
President, Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association

DENNY SCHNEIDER
Chair of Airport Affairs, Westchester Neighbors Association

OFFICER MARSHALL MCCLAIN
Director, Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association

CAPTAIN LAPONDA FITCHPATRICK
National Aviation Law Enforcement and Security Training Specialist
Los Angeles Airport Police

RON YOUNG
Agent (ret.) , United States Secret Service

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Arguments printed on this page are the opinions of the authors and are not checked for accuracy by any City agency.

In 1999, Los Angeles Voters approved a new charter with specific airport security protections mandating LA airport security remain in the hands of aviation experts.

After 9/11, it's more important than ever to KEEP AIRPORT SECURITY DECISIONS OUT OF CITY HALL POLITICS and KEEP IT IN THE HANDS OF AVIATION SECURITY EXPERTS and a specially-trained, fully dedicated airport police force.

VOTE "NO" ON REMOVING AIRPORT SECURITY PROTECTIONS FROM OUR CITY CHARTER BECAUSE:

• LA Airport Police are LAPD-level trained officers and the ONLY specialized police force in Los Angeles to receive FULL aviation security training and train airport police officers across the country.
• LA Airport Police work under a UNIFIED COMMAND, with 19 other security agencies at our airports, to provide an integrated, swift and effective <u response to emergencies, with aviation expertise.
• LA Airport Police are the ONLY officers that are dedicated full-time to protecting our airports.
• LAX crime rate is at an historic low.
• Any security chanqes, such as a proposed LAPD takeover of Airport Police, could hamper homeland security efforts to ensure that our airports remain safe from terrorist threat.
• An LAPD takeover at LAX will NOT fund or put one more police officer in city neighborhoods. Federal law requires airport dollars must be spent on the airport.

VOTE "NO" ON SECURITY CHANGES THAT COULD COST US MilLIONS WITHOUT ADDING MORE OFFICERS!

Changes to airport security could cost Los Angeles $45 million-actuarial studies from City Administrative Officer William Fujioka 8/20/2004.

VOTE "NO" to PLAYING POLITICS WITH AIRPORT SAFETY. An airport security experiment could have tragic consequences.

VOTE "NO" on Charter Amendment A.

/s/

CAPTAIN LAPONDA FITCHPATRICK
National Aviation law Enforcement and Security Training Specialist
Los Angeles Airport Police

JOHN J. DRISCOLL
Executive Director, Los Angeles World Airports (ret.)

TOM LABONGE
Councilmember, 4th District

JANICE HAHN
Councilwoman

OFFICER GEORGE JARVIS
President, Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association

TIM WRAY
President, Van Nuys Airport Association

DETECTIVE KIP RINGEN
Vice President, PORAC (Peace Officers Research Association of California)

OFFICER MARSHAll E. MCCLAIN
Director, Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association

ROY HEFNER
Chairman of Safety Committee, LAX Area Advisory Committee

OFFICER GEORGE HOLT
Aviation SWAT Instructor, Solutions Group International

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Arguments printed on this page are the opinions of the authors and are not checked for accuracy by any City agency.

If you could improve safety and security at local airports, wouldn't you do it?

YES on CHARTER AMENDMENT "A" is an opportunity to improve safety and security at our city's airports. The responsible thing to do is vote YES on CHARTER AMENDMENT "A".

Police Chief William Bratton, County Sheriff Lee Baca, and City Councilmember Bernard Parks, Retired LAPD Chief agree:

• YES on CHARTER AMENDMENT "A" will allow law enforcement and anti-terrorism experts to study and implement the best options for protecting our airports.

/s/

COUNCILMEMBER JACK WEISS
Former Assistant United States Attorney

GEORGE KIEFFER
Immediate Past Chair, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce

RICK J. CARUSO
Commissioner, Los Angeles Police Commission

POLICE COMMISSIONER ROSE MATSUI OCHI
Former Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice

JOHN R. "JACK" TRIMARCO
Special Agent (ret.), Federal Bureau of Investigation

CYNTHIA RUIZ
Neighborhood Council Leader

WENDY GREUEL
Councilmember, Los Angeles City Council

AMY ZEGART
Terrorism and National Security Studies Professor
University of California, Los Angeles

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Arguments printed on this page are the opinions of the authors and are not checked for accuracy by any City agency.