"Boston Arms Anti-Terrorism Squad With Submachine Guns"

Friday, June 20, 2003

Boston Arms Anti-Terrorism Squad With Submachine Guns
Airport Security Report


Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) became the first airport in the
United States to arm its police force with automatic weapons in an effort to
deter terrorist attacks in the airport's terminals. 

All 60 officers of the Massachusetts State Police Troop F Anti-Terrorism
Unit assigned to Logan began patrols last week carrying Heckler & Koch MP-5
submachine guns. While new to U.S. airports, police carrying submachine guns
is a common sight in many foreign airports. 

The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) purchased 30 MP-5 weapons at
about $2,500 each. The weapon can fire two bullets with each trigger
depression using a 30-round clip. They are designed for close-quarters
indoor combat and have noise suppresors to minimize the sound so as to
reduce the panic among passengers if the guns are used. 

"The first objective of good security is deterrence and, in the hands of a
well-trained professional, the MP-5 is a serious deterrent," said Massport
CEO Craig Coy. "Ultimately, good security is good customer service."

The decision to arm the Troop F's anti-terrorism unit with submachine guns
was one of many security enhancements Massport officials undertook in the
aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001. Two of the four hijacked aircraft originated
from Logan. 

As part of that effort, Massport hired Rafi Ron, former security director
for the Israeli Airport Authority that manages Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion
International Airport (TLV), to conduct a security assessment of Logan. Ron
is CEO for New Age Aviation Security. One of his suggestions was to create
the anti-terrorism squad, which Massport established in April 2002. 

While Ron did not recommend arming the squad with submachine guns, he does
concur with Massport's decision, said Maj. Tom Robbins, commander of Troop
F. 

"I think this unit is a good fit," Robbins told Airport Security Report.
"[Passengers] now have the deterrent effect of having to face an
officer,"carrying a submachine gun and randomly patrolling the terminal, he
said. 

The Troop F officers underwent intensive traning to become certified in
handling and firing the MP-5. They underwent live-fire drills, night firing
and special tactics; refresher training will be provided throughout the
year, Robbins said. 

Besides the submachine guns, the special anti-terrorism unit has been
trained and equipped with other security equipment. Each officer carries a
handheld communication device to send and receive information about
passengers and to access information from a criminal history database. The
unit is also trained to assess suspicious conduct through behavior pattern
recognition. This training has been done for 30 years for Israeli airport
security personnel and was instituted in Boston at Ron's recommendation,
Robbins noted.


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