Full Notification

Airport Police: A False Alarm at JFK Airport Reinforces Need for Enhanced Security Measures

NEW YORK - The American Alliance of Airport Police Officers (AAAPO) is relieved that the events that unfolded at JFK Airport on Sunday, August 14th appear to be no more than a false alarm; however, they highlight, once again, that airports continue to be vulnerable to attack. Terrorists and those seeking to cause maximum damage and harm have repeatedly proven this, and the AAAPO reiterates its calls for reasonable measures to be taken in order to protect the traveling public.

This incident immediately brought to mind the airport attacks in Brussels and Istanbul, reminding us that terrorist attacks can take place here in the United States.

In the confusion of the incident at JFK, and as travelers scrambled throughout the airport, rank-and-file officers only had access to two live security cameras at Terminal 8 and neither of them are located in the areas that needed to be searched. In fact, most airports do not have a unified, live camera system accessible by airport police, but instead have a fractured camera system in which tenants, vendors, TSA and others can deny access to law enforcement. In instances like the one this past Sunday, surveillance cameras can be key to identifying the source of confusion, or possible suspects and accomplices.

AAAPO has called on TSA to require any entity with a closed circuit camera system at an airport to provide real-time access to airport police. This would allow police officers to have eyes in all locations across the airport, and would be an essential part in keeping those we have sworn to protect safe.

Furthermore, during the JFK incident, passengers rushed through security clearance unchecked, as TSA was overwhelmed and no airport police were specifically assigned near the screening area. It is not unimaginable that someone could have initiated a false alarm (or two this day) to determine what type of security exists at the TSA screening area and/or someone with ill intent could have rushed past the TSA screening checkpoint during the chaos of this incident in order to gain direct access to the sterile side of the airport, and to awaiting planes, which could have serious consequences.

Our airports need an armed law enforcement officer stationed near the TSA screening area. In this regard, the AAAPO has advocated for the passage of HR 5720, which calls for an armed law enforcement officer to be located within 300 feet of the TSA security checkpoint. Having an armed officer near the screening area will serve as a strong deterrent, help prevent anyone from breaching the checkpoint and will help to mitigate any law enforcement situation that may arise, ultimately protecting TSA, travelers and our airports.

"We've seen the scenario played time and time again-terrorists and gunmen targeting airports. It happened here at LAX in November 2013. People were injured and the shooter got far enough to access a plane because we did not have an officer at screening and did not have eyes on the shooter as he passed through the ENTIRE terminal," said Marshall McClain, President of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association, and co-founder of the AAAPO. "Thank God, the JFK incident was not an actual active shooter situation, but there is no doubt in my mind that if it were, having an armed officer within 300 feet of the screening checkpoint and camera access would have been an effective means to thwart the attack."

"Firstly, I want to commend the response and actions the officers took on Sunday when we received the initial reports of shots fired in Terminal 8 at JFK. The officers performed in text book fashion as they are trained to do and also prevented the situation from escalating," said Paul Nunziato, President of the Port Authority Police Benevolent Association, and co-founder of the AAAPO. "While this threat was apparently not real, it again reinforces that an armed officer must be stationed near the screening area, and that officers must have real-time feeds of all airport cameras, in order to help better protect travelers and secure our airports."


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The American Alliance of Airport Police Officers (AAAPO) is comprised of rank-and-file airport police officers (including many dual police/aircraft rescue firefighters) who stand as the first line of defense against terrorist attacks, hijackings and other criminal activity at our nation's airports. We seek to promote security and safety for the traveling public, visitors and airport employees by highlighting best practices and identifying areas for improvement and proposed solutions for our nation's airport security deployment. AAAPO focuses on regulatory issues that promote our efforts to provide the most advanced and cutting-edge service innovations and security processes in our nation and the world. Our organization represents thousands of sworn law enforcement officers across the United States beholden only to this mission. We are unencumbered by neither political nor managerial constraints that would prevent us from promoting sound public safety policy.

The founding members of the American Alliance of Airport Police Officers are comprised of numerous rank-and-file airport police officers from John F. Kennedy International Airport; LaGuardia Airport; Los Angeles International Airport; Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport; LA/Ontario International Airport; Newark Liberty International Airport; Van Nuys Airport; Stewart International Airport; and Teterboro Airport.

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