Los Angeles Airport Police - Rank Structure

Rank Structure

As is the case with most uniformed law enforcement agencies, the Los Angeles Airport Police has a paramilitary organizational structure. The rank structure has changed over the years. For example, Assistant Chief and Deputy Chief ranks were used from 1980 to 1986, but were dormant from 1986 to 2007. The rank of Commander (one star) is not currently(2011)in use. A four-stripe rank Sergeant, (with an added bottom rocker, similar to U.S. Army Staff Sergeant) was used from 1980 until 1986 to differentiate active sergeants from other sergeants who had previously served in Boarding Service Bureau at a lower paygrade. Field Training Officers, Detectives and K9 officers receive a 5.5% bonus for those duties.

Security Officers have their own rank structure for first and second level supervisors - Senior Security Officer is considered to be the functional equivalent of a sergeant; Principal Security Officer is considered to be the functional equivalent of a lieutenant; neither has any operational authority over sworn officers.

Other civilian (non-sworn) employees have their own supervisory ranks, depending on position and job classifications. Senior Communications Operators supervise Communications Operators.

Sworn supervisors may supervise both sworn and (non-sworn) employees, however, civilian (non-sworn) supervisors do not supervise sworn employees.