Dave Wedge reported for the Boston Herald that the security force at Logan International Airport was going to suffer cutbacks. Specifically, one cruiser patrol has been eliminated, daily trooper staffing has been reduced from 14 to 9, designated patrols under the Behavioral Assessment Screening System has been eliminated (BASS).

BASS is a critical program that utilized specifically trained troopers to patrol crowds for possible terrorist. Additionally, one trooper from each of the terminals will be phased out. This will result in no trooper assigned to American Airlines. The trooper detail at U.S. Customs has also been cut along with a parking garage post. K-9 cargo screenings have been slashed along with reduced roadblocks. The reduction in roadblocks will go from 1 daily, 8 hours each, to 3 days a week for 4 hours each. This is a massive reduction in security.

Furthermore, these cuts have shut down the South Gate to Logan’s airfield except for 4 hours in the morning. Any response to disaster or other critical event will now require emergency response vehicles to travel several minutes around the facility to the North Gate – delaying help to those in danger.

Massport, an organization not exactly known for efficiency, competence or corruption free activity, stated that they are confident in the security at Logan resulting from the changes.
To offset the reduction in troopers, the TSA (Transportation Safety Administration) in Boston (another agency with a less than stellar record of efficiency and effectiveness) claims to have increased the number of K-9 patrols and “behavior recognition” officers within its organization. George Naccara stated, “I can assure you, we wouldn’t allow any compromising of security.” Forgive me Mr. Naccara if I appear skeptical and unassured.

Now, what precipitated these changes:

It seems that managerial level State Police officials drew more than $300,000.00 in overtime to do “desk work” as part of their duties at Logan International Airport’s security detail. Specifically, 8 top brass members sucked up all of this extra money. One Lieutenant, Thomas J. Coffey claimed $66,617.00 in overtime. That brought his total salary (minus benefits and other detail work) to $215,000.00.

That puts the LT’s base pay at $148,383.00. It seems to me, even for law enforcement officers who risk their lives on a daily basis that this is, by itself, a reasonable salary. In fact, when you add in the benefits that are also part of the compensation package, we are, perhaps, being too generous and should consider reduction of upper level pay and distributing the difference to the lower ranked and fledgling troopers who are paid too little.

In fact, in the real world, management positions are paid a fixed salary and expected to put in extra hours performing “paperwork” on their own time if they get behind. Why are senior officers of the State Police being paid base salaries and overtime? They are not allowed to be members of the State Police Association of Massachusetts (S.P.A.M.), the State Police union; so, it seems that there is no union protection to change the terms of their employment contracts.

Recollecting that Logan International Airport was the jump off point for the 9/11 terrorists that flew 3 planes into buildings and killed over 3,000 people, do you think these cost cutting measures are prudent, or do you think reducing the number of senior officers and their salary/benefits packages makes more sense? Remember, that no class of new recruits has graduated from the State Police Academy since 2006, in spite of Governor Patrick’s promise to increase the number of officers. Not one retiree has been replaced, nor any other officer dismissed from service for other reason, (death, disability, performance or change in careers).

I think that this last fact speaks to the fact that savings via the State Police have already been more than enough and that cuts to spending should come from other sources, such as closing unnecessary state agencies, consolidation of duplicate agencies/managers, and a review of state employee compensation, including benefit packages. A serious consideration should be made to begin charging state employee retirees a significant contribution toward their retired health, eye and other benefits where cost sharing is commonplace in the private market. On the other hand, Governor Patrick could save a ton of money for this function by simply ending Bunker Hill Day and Evacuation Day government holidays.

In the meanwhile, I’ll be considering other modes of transportation when traveling and planning further ahead to allow me to get business done without having to use the airlines – especially, American Airlines. If I have to fly, I’ll either use T. F. Green Airport in Rhode Island or Manchester Airport in New Hampshire. Logan is no longer a viable option for me or my family members. How do you view the situation?