Los Angeles Airport Police Alert to Possible Attacks on U.S. Military Personnel
March 4, 2011
LOS ANGELES –After the Wednesday attack on a U.S. Air Force bus at Germany’s Frankfurt Airport, the Los Angeles Airport Police Department (LAXPD) has stepped up security for U.S. service personnel who transit LAX. With nearby Los Angeles Air Force Base, home of the Space and Missile Systems Center and 61st Air Base Group, there is a heightened awareness about preventing any replication of this tragedy, where two airmen were killed and two were injured.
“LAAFB in El Segundo is the only active duty base in the Los Angeles area and its personnel regularly pass through LAX,” notes Marshall McClain, president of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association (LAAPOA). “Though the target in Germany was clearly the U.S. military, terrorists’ targets can just as easily be civilians as they most recently were in Moscow. It’s our job to thwart such attacks.”
With violence on the rise throughout the Middle East, Northern Africa and Europe and the U.S. military engaged in two wars, U.S. travelers around the globe are being asked to stay vigilant and to notify police when they notice something strange. The LAXPD continues to encourage the traveling public to report any suspicious activity as it works to prevent threats from ever reaching the airport.
“Our first line of defense is to apprehend terrorists in the planning stages before they’re ready to actually carry out their mission,” adds McClain. “We do this by sharing intelligence with local, state and national agencies.”
The LAXPD trains its officers on the tactics and methods used by contemporary terrorists, both foreign and home-grown. This includes the various steps that lead up to an attack, such as target acquisition, pre-attack surveillance and supply procurement. Currently, airport police officers work as Terrorism Liaison Officers (TLOs) and its detectives are assigned to both the Los Angeles Joint Regional Task Force (LAJRIC) and the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force.
The Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association represents more than 425 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)
