City to hire 40 officers for airport’s new terminal

OPD captain pitched program after studying similar model at LAX

Orlando International Airport’s new terminal will bring millions more passengers to Florida’s busiest travel hub when it debuts next year.

To keep up, the Orlando Police Department plans to hire 40 new officers before construction is completed.

The cops, part of OPD’s new Airport Operations Officer program, will be trained at the airport and work there part-time. With the bustling airport— which saw a record 50-plus-million travelers in 2019 — set to expand, OPD Capt. Isiah White pitched the program after studying a similar model used to boost staffing at Los Angeles International Airport.

“At LAX, just as any other airport throughout the country … there’s been shortages, as far as law enforcement there,” White said. “So what we saw there that they are very effective in [is] being able to bring in additional resources to police the airport. … So we looked at what they were doing and kind of tweaked it.”

Only officers who already hold law enforcement certification in Florida or participate in training that certifies an out-ofstate license can apply. Working 36 hours a week at an annual salary of $44,000, airport operations officers can get benefits such as health insurance, retirement options and representation by OPD’s union in grievances or arbitration.

The officers however can’t work extra duty shifts at businesses other than the airport “without the specific approval of the Chief of Police,” OPD’s union contract states. Those shifts, which include security details at Orlando businesses such as night clubs and hospitals, are picked up by full-time officers who are off duty.

Detective Lionel Santiago,