Overview
The Manchester-Boston Regional Airport lies mostly within the Town of Londonderry, and is categorized as a Category
1 airport. This is a designation based on Federal Government standards, with only the very largest airports in the United States,
i.e. Logan, JFK, O'Hare, holding a category which ranks them higher on the scale. As such there is a need to have a dedicated
police presence at the airport due to the current and ever-present terrorist threat, along with the need to protect and serve a large
number of businesses, travelers, workers, and airport employees. The facility that is policed is comprised of two active runways,
numerous taxiways and service roads, businesses on airport property, parking facilities, and a modern passenger terminal. In
total, the area policed is in excess of 1,500 acres, along with miles and miles of roadways.
On July 1, 2006, the Londonderry
Police Department assumed the role of being the primary provider of law enforcement services to the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. Prior to that date (going all the way back to 1993) the Rockingham County Sheriff's Department had filled that role. To
fulfill its new role the Londonderry Police Department had to undergo an expansion by starting an entirely new division within the
department and hiring a sufficient number of personnel to staff that division. The cost of starting this new division was borne
entirely by the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport and included the recruitment and testing process, the background investigation
process, and the cost of fully equipping and training the new personnel.
Staffing
The Londonderry Police Department's Airport
Division is comprised of a Captain who serves as the Division Commander and reports directly to the Chief of Police, five (5) Sergeants
who serve as the first-line supervisors, and nineteen (19) Patrol Officers. With the exception of the Division Commander, all
of the other personnel are in essence temporarily assigned to the airport. This means that the police personnel assigned to
duty at the airport are subject to change based upon the needs of the Londonderry Police Department so long as we maintain the proper
number of personnel within the Division.
Duties
The role of the Division is two-fold: one is that police officers assigned
to the Airport are required to provide all of the services that are "typical" of police officers everywhere. These include day-to-day
duties such as enforcement of the motor vehicle laws of the State of New Hampshire, and of the New Hampshire Criminal code. Police assigned to the Airport conduct investigations, make criminal arrests, intercede in various disturbances, and maintain a visible
presence throughout the entire facility. The second role is to provide services that are more airport-specific such as supporting
the Transportation Security Administration officers in their mission, patrolling the interior perimeter of the Airport adjacent to
the runways and taxiways, and remaining vigilant to the fact that airports throughout the world are at present still subject to the
very real possibility of coming under terrorist attack.
Conclusion
The Londonderry Police Department now has a significant
role in Homeland Security, and has grown into being one of the largest police agencies in the State of New Hampshire. With this
growth, due to the addition of the Airport Division, has come a number of valuable alliances with all of the various stakeholders
that play a part in the daily operations at the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport to include: the Airport's administrative and operations
staff, the TSA, the FBI, the NHSP, the Manchester Police Department, and other State, Local, and Federal agencies. The Londonderry
Police Department foresees a long and fruitful partnership with all, and remains eager to continue the level of service thus far provided.
