Airport Security

Despite the federalization of aviation security personnel, particularly in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, DC, daily aviation activities and oversight remain with the states. Providing police and security at large airports is a task that often involves a stew of jurisdictions with various mandates. Numerous federal and local law enforcement and security organizations are represented in large airports, with no uniform regulations or procedures across the country when it comes to providing policing services. In some localities, such as Logan Airport in Boston, the Massachusetts state police force has jurisdiction, whereas airports in New York City's metropolitan area use a specialized law enforcement agency called the Port Authority Police. Some cities, like Los Angeles, use police departments that are dedicated to providing service specifically for the airport. Police service for small airports is usually provided by local sheriffs or state law enforcement agencies.

Passenger services and screening are provided by the airport carriers under some degree of federal oversight. Because airports are points where international borders are crossed, federal immigration and customs agencies have had a longstanding presence in most of the country's largest airports. There have even been times when the National Guard has been deployed to provide security. What was already a complex policing situation became all the more so after September 11, 2001, when Islamic extremists hijacked three commercial jetliners and turned them into guided missiles to strike the World Trade Center in New York City, and the Pentagon. A fourth plane, probably headed for the nation's capital, crashed in Pennsylvania. The hijackers exploited a number of vulnerabilities in the country's security system, but prominent among them was the weakness in airport security. It was the only time in America's history, at least so far, when air traffic over the entire United States was stopped.

The terrorist attack prompted a top-to-bottom examination of police services and security for the nation's airports. There have been numerous commissions, congressional studies, and reviews since the attack that continue even now. Many of the federal jurisdictions that handled matters involving airports have been restructured and placed under the newly created Department of Homeland Security.

On both the local and federal level, lawmakers quickly found that they had to enact law and policy that dealt with objects not previously considered dangerous weapons. At the time, box cutters, like those used by the attackers, were, in fact, objects that were legally allowed on a plane. Many states, such as California and Idaho, tightened laws regarding dangerous weapons in airports and on planes.

One of the first areas of scrutiny was airport screening. For the most part, the airports contracted private security firms to provide this service. It was found, however, that screeners did a poor job. They were badly trained and poorly paid, and they were hired without sufficient background checks. To correct this shortcoming, screeners became federalized under the Transportation Security Administration, although there was considerable concern that the federal government could not efficiently handle [Page 7]taking the responsibility for hiring, training, and effectively supervising approximately 55,000 employees. Airport security directors, many of whom came from local policing, were appointed to the country's largest airports. For the most part, they are responsible for aviation security, including passenger screening, baggage and cargo, perimeters, ticket counters, lobbies, and gates. But even with the federalization that occurred, the country is trying to find ways to handle this labor-intensive function. For example, a pilot program, currently in progress by the Transportation Security Administration, has allowed some airports to go back to employing privately contracted security screeners. Citing staffing demand problems, some 25% of the nation's commercial airports no longer want to use government employees for screening passengers and baggage.

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