Full Notification

Daily Dangers Do Not Deter Police From Protecting the Public

The American Alliance of Airport Police Officers (AAAPO) denounces the killings of Sheriff’s Sergeant Steve Owen of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Officer Blake Snyder of the St. Louis County Police Department and Palm Springs Officers Jose Gilbert Vega and Lesley Zerebny, all of whom were killed in the line of duty this past week. The AAAPO sends our condolences to the families of the officers who are victims of these senseless acts of violence.

Deputy Owen, who was shot by a parolee while responding to a burglary call, was a 29-year veteran of the force, and is survived by his adult son, wife, and his mother. Officer Snyder was shot while responding to a routine disturbance call and leaves behind a 2-year-old son and wife. Officers Vega and Zerebny were killed while trying to resolve a domestic dispute. Officer Vega, a 35-year department veteran, was a father of eight and was due to retire in December. Officer Zerebny was a mother of a 4-month-old who recently returned to work from maternity leave. There is absolutely no reason for these brave officers to be gone from their families, friends and colleagues.

Over the last several years there has been a rising tide of disdain for police officers across the country; the same police officers who have sworn to uphold the law and protect you, the public. While these killings do not appear to have been the result of direct targeting, it does not negate the fact that police are being targeted on a regular basis yet they continue to do their jobs in the face of this danger. This is unacceptable, and the AAAPO believes something must be done to quell the violence.

Further, reckless laws like California’s AB 109, which “realigned” responsibility for supervising people convicted of certain felony crimes from the state to local level, Proposition 47, which reduced the penalties for certain crimes, November’s pending Proposition 57, which proposes to parole “non-violent” criminals in the state of California, erode the core of our penal system and contribute to the uptick in crime. With crime and violence on the rise, releasing convicted criminals is a drastic step backwards, particularly when local police agencies are having difficulty recruiting police officers.

“Attacks on law enforcement are attacks on our values, and on the very concept of what we all must defend against—the eroding of our way of life, of everything good we have come to know and love about this country,” said Marshall McClain, President of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers and co-founder of the AAAPO. “The parolee in California that shot Deputy Owen was supposedly "non-violent" yet he lay in wait and shot the officer in the face, then stood over him and shot him four more times. We all know the risks associated with our job, but it is always hard to bear when an officer is killed while trying to keep the public safe. The manufactured hatred for police has led us to where we are now and we call on all leaders at the local, state and federal level to help us in putting an end to this narrative.”

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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.