Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department


The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department, or Port Authority Police Department, is a law enforcement agency in New York and New Jersey, the duties of which are to protect and to enforce state and city laws at all the facilities, owned or operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the bi-state agency running airports, seaports, and many bridges and tunnels within the Port of New York and New Jersey. Additionally, the PAPD is responsible for other PANYNJ properties including three bus terminals, the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, and the PATH train system. The PAPD is the largest transit-related police force in the United States.

History

The Port Authority Police Department was created in June 1928 when 40 men were selected to police the Goethals Bridge and Outerbridge Crossing. These original officers were known as Bridgemen, nine of whom were later promoted to the rank of Bridgemaster, or Sergeant.
The force grew in number with the opening of Port Authority facilities such as the Holland Tunnel in 1927, three Metropolitan Airports and a Marine Terminal in the 1940s, and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in the 1950s. The Port Authority also assumed control of the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad, rebranding it as the PATH.

Airports

The PAPD protects three major airports: Newark Liberty International, John F. Kennedy International, and LaGuardia, which handle over 140 million air passengers, over 1.2 million flights, and over 2.2 million tons of air cargo annually. Together, the three New York area airports create the largest airport system in the entire United States. The department runs vehicle checkpoints, responds to all aircraft incidents, and assists travelers from all parts of the world. The agency is also responsible for escorting and protecting visiting dignitaries. The PAPD also patrols the Port Authority-owned Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, which is much smaller than the other three airports and operates only general aviation aircraft.
The PAPD is also responsible for fire fighting and crash emergency rescue at the four airports and for all other aircraft emergency incidents. Police personnel assigned to fire and rescue duty are trained in all phases of aircraft rescue and firefighting. They have a large number of aircraft rescue fire fighting vehicles, known as "crash trucks".

Marine terminals

Police operations at Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal, Howland Hook, Port Jersey, include traffic control and the prevention and investigation of cargo thefts.

Structure

The department's headquarters is located at the Port Authority Technical Center in Jersey City, New Jersey. The nerve center of the force is the Central Police Desk, which is located at Journal Square. It is staffed around-the-clock and is the hub of the communications network. There, personnel are assigned to needed areas, all radio transmissions are monitored, and computer terminals are integrated into the NY & NJ Intelligence and Crime Information Systems as well as the National Crime Information Center in Washington, D.C. Information received from these sources is supplied to officers in the field when needed. Approximately 200,000 passengers use the PATH system daily. The system's stations are monitored by video surveillance to aid police personnel.
At the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels, the Bayonne, Goethals, and George Washington Bridges, and the Outerbridge Crossing, the duties of PAPD officers are patrol, traffic control, hazardous cargo inspections, truck weigh and emergency services, as well as enforcement for violations of motor vehicle laws. Police at these crossings have also instituted programs that maintain a constant campaign against drunk driving. The Port Authority operates the largest and busiest bus terminal in the nation, accommodating 57 million bus passengers and over 2.2 million bus movements in 2001. Police assignments demand a broad range of functions, everything from locating lost children to aiding everyday commuters. They are responsible for the general security of the facility utilizing a variety of patrol tactics. Police Officer/Social Worker teams patrol the bus terminal and identify youngsters who may be runaways, throwaways, or missing persons. They provide crisis intervention counseling, placement with social service agencies, and reunions with families when appropriate. The Port Authority also owns the World Trade Center site and Port Authority Trans-Hudson, and the PAPD is responsible for the general safety and security of those facilities.

Criminal Investigations Bureau

The Criminal Investigations Bureau consists of 77 detectives and supervisors that are specifically trained for crimes occurring at transportation facilities. During the past year, the Criminal Investigations Bureau has worked on computerized airline ticket fraud, and property and drug interdictions. They have seized over 10 million dollars of goods including of narcotics. Additionally, the Criminal Investigations Bureau has worked cooperatively with Local, State, and Federal agencies in the fight against crime. Some of these agencies include the New Jersey State Police, the New York City Police Department, United States Customs and Border Protection, and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. Members of the Criminal Investigations Bureau also work as part of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force to prevent terrorist activities in the region.

Emergency Service Unit

The Port Authority Police Emergency Service Unit was founded in 1983, over the objections of the Port Authority Police management at that time. Working with the non-police PATH railroad personnel and railroad management, who clearly recognized the need for a rapid response to PATH railroad emergencies and fires, a small group of Port Authority Police officers assigned to the PATH command asked for, and got, a stock Port Authority utility truck which was converted for police emergency use. Despite the continued objections of P.A. Police management, the PATH railroad management's goal of having an "Emergency Response Vehicle" operated by the police bore fruit. The initial team members were trained in underground rescue, extrication of passengers from PATH train cars and first aid, with emphasis on the procedure of lifting railroad cars from trapped persons by use of Vetter air bags. Prior to the PATH Emergency Unit, emergencies which occurred on the PATH train were handled by the local police within the jurisdictions around the PATH train.
Emergency Service Unit members, who have received specialized training to respond to emergency and rescue operations that arise at Port Authority facilities or in other jurisdictions when their expertise is requested are currently assigned to various facilities throughout the Port Authority. Emergency Service Unit members may receive training in the following areas; animal control, hazardous material response, heavy weapon use, bridge and water rescue and tactical operations.
Noteworthy cases that the Emergency Services Unit has handled or assisted other jurisdictions in handling include:
The Port Authority Police Department formed its first canine unit with three patrol dogs; Prince, Bear, and Rex, and three police officer handlers in September 1985. There were two assigned to PATH and one assigned to the Port Authority Bus Terminal. They were trained by the NYC Transit Police canine unit located in Brooklyn N.Y. They began patrol in December 1985.
The Port Authority Police Department formed its Canine Explosive Detection Unit in the fall of 1996 in response to the crash of TWA Flight 800 off the coast of Long Island that summer. The department subsequently expanded the unit to include a K-9 Narcotics Detection Unit.
The Canine unit, which consists of 45 police officers, three sergeants, one inspector, and 48 dogs, patrols all Port Authority facilities on a 24-hour basis.
Port Authority Police officers who are members of the K-9 unit must pass a challenging and demanding physical, a physical agility course, participate in a group interview and complete a minimum of 400 hours of K-9 training. The most popular dog in the unit is the German Shepherd. The unit also has Labradors, a Belgian Shepherd and a Golden Retriever. The dogs are trained to detect either explosives or narcotics, but not both.
The unit currently has 40 dogs trained to detect explosives, including 22 certified by the federal Transportation Security Administration. There are eight dogs trained in narcotics detection.
The canine explosive detection teams patrol and search aircraft, airline and cargo buildings, bus terminals, subway stations, vehicles, and unattended luggage and packages. The K-9 narcotic detection teams patrol and perform a variety of searches at Port Authority facilities and are also used by many other government agencies.
This unit experienced what might be the first loss ever of an American police dog due to international terrorism when Sirius, PAPD Badge #17, died in the collapse of the World Trade Center's South Tower. Sirius' remains were recovered in 2002, and ceremoniously removed with full honors.

Firefighting and Crash Emergency

In June 1998, the Port Authority Police Department opened a new aircraft rescue, firefighting, and fuel spill trainer facility at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The facility, one of the largest of its kind in the United States, is used to train Port Authority Police officers in aircraft rescue and firefighting techniques. It allows officers to train for emergency situations in a controlled environment. The centerpiece of the training center is a pit that uses clean-burning propane to simulate a fire. It also features a -long aircraft mock-up with a broken wing section. Computer controls allow for the creation of firefighting scenarios that vary in size, difficulty and intensity.
Each year, more than 600 Port Authority officers are cross-trained as aircraft rescue firefighters for the region's three major airports - John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International, and LaGuardia airports.
In 2014, the command and responsibility of the Aircraft rescue and firefighting Unit at the major Port Authority airports was transferred from the Port Authority Police Department to Port Authority Aviation Department. This transfer was due to numerous and prolonged deficiencies and violations discovered by the Federal Aviation Administration. The results of the FAA investigation cited numerous instances where Port Authority Police did not properly maintain training records that are mandated by the FAA. The FAA also discovered numerous instances where Port Authority Police permitted untrained officers to be placed in firefighter positions. Thousands of violations were found to be occurring for many years. A Federal consent order was levied against the Port Authority which mandated numerous changes including creating a full-time cadre of ARFF firefighters; removing command and control of the ARFF unit from the direction of the Port Authority Police Department; and the putting in place non-police ARFF commanding officers. While Port Authority Police officers still make up the rank and file of the ARFF Unit, command and control of the ARFF unit and emergencies is under the direction of a Port Authority Aviation Department fire chief as well as Port Authority Aviation deputy fire chiefs and fire captains assigned to each of the agency's four airports. The Police Academy Deputy Inspector is the commanding officer of the Rescue Training Center at JFK Airport.