Text of Senator Charles Schumer's Letter to Mr. James M. Loy Under Secretary of Transportation for Security Administration

Dear Under Secretary Loy:

I am writing to respectfully urge the federal Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) to take direct responsibility for securing the Watertown International Airport so that city and county police can return to doing their jobs patrolling the streets.

As you may know, Jefferson County will soon be so short-staffed for patrolling the streets that it will need to remove its deputies from the airport in less than three weeks, leaving the airport in non-compliance with security regulations and jeopardizing commercial flights. It is a disservice to communities to have the sheriff and undersheriff patrolling streets instead of supervising the force. Keeping the airports safe is important, but securing against global and terrorist threats is not the responsibility of the city or the county. It is the federal government's responsibility because homeland security is a national problem, not a local one.

As a result of severe shortages in patrolmen, the county may need to pull its deputies from the airport within the next few weeks if the city cannot reduce the county's role at the airport to 15 hours a week, and amend its memorandum of understanding with TSA to reimburse the county as a subcontractor for security. Consequently, commercial flights could be in jeopardy because the federal government has required a level of security only met by local police meant to help out only as a temporary measure. Because of shortages in officers patrolling the streets, the county and city may need to remove their troops, rendering commercial flights potentially unsafe.

In short, the city and county police departments have it hard enough during these uncertain times. To ask them to keep crime down, protect against terrorism, and then do it with a depleted staff is difficult. The federal government needs to take responsibility for national security and that extends to airports.

To this end, it is my belief that the county police department should be reimbursed for the work it has performed to date, and that the ideal solution going forward is for the TSA to come in with its own personnel to relieve both the city and county of securing the airport. The county has gone well beyond the call of helping a city in need, and should be completely relieved of its duties at the airport.

The city should be held accountable for normal security needs during a time of normal national circumstances. But because this war and our homeland security are national issues, the federal government needs to step up and take care of this urgent need. Thank you for your consideration. Please do not hesitate to call me to discuss this matter further.

Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator