LAPD, LAX POLICE REACH AIRPORT DEAL.

Byline: RICK ORLOV Staff Writer

Ending months of feuding over jurisdiction at LAX, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced an agreement Tuesday to resolve how security will be provided at the nation's third-busiest airport.

``This puts the safety of the traveling public first,'' Villaraigosa said.

The dispute had centered on a long-held belief by Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton that the LAPD should have full authority over security at Los Angeles International Airport due to its officers' training and expertise in responding to possible terrorist strikes and other disasters at the airport.

Los Angeles World Airports Police argued that they should be in charge, pointing to voter approval of Measure A in 2005 that kept the 300-member police force a separate agency with its own power.

Under the agreement, officers hired for the LAWA force will be subject to the same standards as LAPD recruits and will go through seven months of training at the Police Academy.

``What we think this will do is build relationships among officers,'' LAPD Police Chief William Bratton said. ``They will develop friendships in the academy as they go through training that will last them a lifetime.''

The LAPD also will be required to develop an annual operation plan subject to approval of airport officials, and both agencies will begin providing monthly incident reports to determine how well they have responded to incidents and changes that might be needed.

Tensions over the issue heightened recently when Assemblyman Dario Frommer, D-Glendale, introduced a bill that would have authorized more training for airport police, who would take on duties Bratton believed should be left with the LAPD.

Frommer pulled his bill from the Senate Public Safety Committee as a result of Tuesday's agreement to give local officials time to work out the details. But he can still have it reconsidered during the summer.

Bratton, however, said he believes the new agreement will resolve differences and answers his concerns of which agency is in charge during an emergency.

``This smooths things out,'' Bratton said. ``We have looked at every scenario we have had historically and determined which agency can best respond.''

In most cases, he added, it will be up to federal agencies, either the FBI or the Transportation Security Administration, but the LAPD will be called in on other crimes and criminal investigations.

The dispute over the role of the LAWA police force had divided city officials. Council members Janice Hahn and Bill Rosendahl were among the strongest supporters of the airport police.

``Our officers are prepared and ready to respond,'' Hahn said. ``This agreement maintains the Airport Police as the lead agency at LAX and clearly defines the roles of the LAPD. People feel safe at our airport, and the steady increase of tourists traveling through LAX is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our officers.''

Councilman Jack Weiss favored an LAPD takeover of airport security, although he said he hopes the agreement will resolve the issues of police responsibility at the airport.

rick.orlov(at)dailynews.com

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