Hahn Wants Airport Police, LAPD Unified

Switching his position, Mayor James K. Hahn on Wednesday called for an end to the independence of the Police Department at Los Angeles International Airport.

Hahn asked the commissions that oversee the airport and the Los Angeles Police Department to “immediately develop and implement a unified command” of the two departments. “The time to act is now to ensure the safety of the traveling public and the integrity of our city’s vital infrastructure,” he wrote.

The move comes after a series of controversial incidents involving the airport police and under mounting pressure from City Council members.

KCBS-TV Channel 2 embarrassed the Airport Police Department a week ago with a hidden-camera report that showed on-duty officers hanging out at a Del Taco restaurant and chatting while ignoring emergency radio calls about abandoned suitcases.

The airport police force, which has 340 officers, also has been involved in several dangerous incidents, including its SWAT team’s storming of an airliner in May and the rollover crash of a police sport utility vehicle during a car chase in Inglewood days later.

Up for reelection next year, Hahn is being criticized by his rivals in the mayoral race for failing to put enough police officers on the streets of the nation’s second-largest city.

Five City Council members -- Jack Weiss, Wendy Greuel, Dennis Zine, Tony Cardenas and Greig Smith -- co-sponsored a proposed charter amendment introduced earlier Wednesday to eliminate the independence of the airport police force. That independence is required under the city charter.

“The No. 1 terrorist target in the region deserves the No. 1 security force in the region,” said Weiss, a former federal prosecutor. “It doesn’t have that now, and this will fix that.”

The move to combine the independent airport police with the LAPD was resurrected by several city leaders after a fatal shooting July 4, 2002, at the El Al ticket counter that left three dead. The idea failed to advance after it was opposed by Hahn and the Airport Commission.

The idea reemerged in May after airport police SWAT officers stormed a Singapore Airlines jet that had accidentally transmitted a hijacking alert. At the time, Hahn said he favored further study.

LAPD Chief William J. Bratton broke publicly with Hahn in August, endorsing a merger. The Police Commission agreed to ask Hahn and the council to put a measure on the ballot to combine the two departments.

In mid-August, Hahn urged city officials to reserve judgment until an independent study was completed early next year.

Elizabeth Kaltman, the mayor’s spokeswoman, said Hahn wants a consultant to study “the best way to unify the command” of police at LAX. She said that could include a full merger of the departments, with airport police becoming LAPD officers, or the LAPD having overall command of a separate Airport Police Department.

Wednesday night, Hahn said the city charter probably would need to be changed “if we are going to have a unified command.”

His letter was sent to airport and LAPD officials, but not to Airport Police Chief Bernard J. Wilson. Wilson had no comment.

George Jarvis, president of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Assn., said, “We are greatly concerned to see the future of airport safety being hastily used as a political tool without the careful consideration this matter deserves.”

Hahn said he was disturbed by the television news report.

“I was outraged to see that police officers were shirking their duty,” he said. “Certainly, I’m sure these weren’t the first public employees ever to neglect their duty. But we think this particular duty -- protecting LAX, protecting the security of our airport and our passengers -- doesn’t allow for any excuses.”

Weiss was more blunt. “Recent hidden-camera news reports have shown airport police skipping their patrols taking extended breaks at Del Taco. Al Qaeda doesn’t hang out at Del Taco,” he said.

Times staff writer Jessica Garrison contributed to this report.