Document text
Medford police assume control of airport security By JILL BRISKEY Thanks to more than $300,000 in federal funding, Medford police will become a fixture at the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport and replace exiting Oregon Army National Guard troops. Jackson County began paying for Medford police protection in October after the Federal Aviation Administration mandated their presence. Since then, a Medford police officer has spent six to seven hours daily patrolling the airport for roughly $29 an hour. The officer worked in the screening area, patrolled the facility and aided the airport's private security force and airline screening employees between "peak hours," which were not disclosed for security reasons. On Tuesday, county officials reached an agreement with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to increase that service. The federal government allotted Jackson County up to $300,000 as reimbursement for police protection, paving the way for officers to spend 16 hours daily at the Medford airport. The contract went into effect on Friday. "We're happy to have them," said Airport Director Bern Case. "They've done great work." The reimbursement agreement, which expires in December 2003, comes as National Guard troops assigned to the Medford airport prepare to leave their posts. "They were grea, but they were constantly changing," Case said, and added that the guardsmen will be gone by June 1. "They always needed to be retrained." According to Medford Lt. Tim George, the county is getting more than just a police presence, such as access to the department's K-9 unit and SWAT team if needed. "We think we offer the best package for the price," George said. "You're getting the whole package." George said officers will work at the airport from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. "It's not going to be the same people all the time," he said. It's unclear at this early date if the additional workload will require Medford police to hire additional personnel, George added. Under the new agreement, the county will pay Medford police approximately $36 an hour, or roughly $576 daily, for Medford's police presence. According to the agreement, TSA agreed to provide up to $309,482 for police services. The money will be allotted at periodic increments, with the first set at $11,924. The agreement can be terminated when the TSA assigns its own federal law enforcement personnel at the airport's passenger screening areas, although no date has been set. The FAA in April awarded the county a $514,738 grant as reimbursement for federally mandated security procedures. Case said more than $360,000 will have been spent on security by Sept. 30 since the Sept. 11 attacks. The county spent more than $140,000 on emergency expenses at the airport following the terrorist attacks. Commissioners on Wednesday are expected to approve another FAA grant of $970,000. That money will be used to pay for security improvements and continuing safety requirements, including Medford police. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.