With more than 190 full-time employees, the Airport Police Department (APD) has many specialized divisions to support a safe and secure environment in and around the airport. These functions also include 11 canine handlers throughout the department with unique duties. From uniform patrol officers and investigators to roles specific to aviation policing, explore the various divisions of the APD.
Operations
Police Operations is the largest functional area and the core of the APD. In addition to uniformed patrol, the staff in this area perform various duties to prevent crime, protect life and property, and preserve peace, order, and safety. A deputy chief of police directs the work in three primary divisions in this area: Patrol, Special Operations and Investigations, and Aviation Security.
Patrol Division
Uniformed officers in the Patrol Division are assigned to one of several shifts, consisting of either 10- or 12-hour days. Coverage is provided 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Patrol officers serve as first responders to calls related to thefts, injury accidents, medical issues, disorderly conduct, and security violations. They also conduct criminal investigations and perform traffic enforcement duties. A lieutenant manages the patrol operation and is supported by sergeants who are responsible for leading and supervising the various patrol shifts.
In addition, approximately 100 full-time and 30 part-time employees provide foot patrol near the security checkpoints in the terminals. Retired police officers find this position gives them the ability to continue serving the public on a part-time basis.
Community Service Officers (CSOs) are civilian staff who monitor compliance with federal security directives prohibiting parked and unattended vehicles on the roadways in front of both terminals. The MAC’s “no-waiting” ordinance is enforced to allow everyone to utilize the curb space for loading and unloading luggage. CSOs also assist with oversized or disabled vehicles, perform perimeter checks, transport and set up equipment for special details, release vehicle impounds, book suspects, and other tasks. This program was created in 1988 and is run by a sergeant with lead CSOs providing daily work direction. Many CSOs are pursuing a career in law enforcement. There are approximately 30 CSOs who work a variety of shifts and hours.
Special Operations
A lieutenant directs this division, ensuring MSP Airport complies with federal, state, and local regulations related to safety and security.
The division is comprised of the Explosive Detection Canine (EDC K-9) Units, Emergency Response Team (ERT), Tactical Negotiations Team (TNT), Honor Guard, and the Airport Watch Program. Detectives and officers investigate suspicious activity and security violations, such as presenting false identification when applying for a badge, attempting to bring weapons or other prohibited items through a checkpoint, and non-compliance with MSP Airport’s security ordinance. They also conduct vulnerability assessments, participate in counter-terrorism activities, take action to ensure security compliance, work with airport tenants on safety and security issues, and facilitate improvements.
A detective from this division is assigned to serve on one of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs). Joint Terrorism Task Forces are our nation’s front line of defense against terrorism, both international and domestic, and they are comprised of groups of highly trained, locally based, passionately committed investigators, analysts, linguists, and other specialists from dozens of U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
Sergeants are responsible for leading the detectives and officers in the day-to-day activities, managing contract security services operations and personnel, and coordinating all special events to include dignitary details.
The Explosives Detection K-9 unit is comprised of several officers and a sergeant; each teamed up with a canine trained in explosives detection. Before becoming a certified team, canines and handlers complete many months of training, including training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. The unit is certified by one or more of the following: the National Explosives Detection Canine Team Program (NEDCTP), the United States Police Canine Association (USPCA), and/or the North American Police Work Dog Association (NAPWDA). The K9 Teams patrol the jurisdiction of the MSP Airport and respond to suspicious items and vehicles to ensure there are no improvised explosive devices present. The K9 Teams regularly assist other state, local, and federal agencies with dignitary details, venue sweeps, and bomb threats. The unit is recognized as a regional resource and can travel throughout the state to provide trained and certified explosives detection canines for various situations.
Aviation Security Division and Badging Office
The Airport Badging Office and Aviation Security Division are administrative divisions of the APD. Together, they are responsible for issuing Airport Identification Badges to employees who work and require access to security-sensitive areas of MSP for their official job duties. Other responsibilities include access control, physical security, and regulatory compliance. The civilian Airport Security Coordinator (ASC) is responsible for updating the airport security plan and ensuring all airport employees, tenants, contractors, and vendors comply with the federal security directives in place to promote the safety and security of the airport.
The ASC manages the Airport Badging Office, which provides badge issuance, document verification, database and records administration, security training, financial transactions and reconciliation, and fingerprinting to approximately 21,000 airport identification badge holders.
The Badging Office is located on Level 3 between the Red and Blue Parking Ramps at Terminal 1. For more information about badging policies and procedures and current badging office hours, visit www.mymspconnect.com/badging.
Support Services
A deputy chief of police is responsible for the functions of four primary divisions in this area: Professional Standards and Training, Criminal Investigations, Emergency Communications, and Administration. Each of these divisions performs distinct functions.
Professional Standards and Training Division
This division is directed by a lieutenant who manages department policy creation and updates, staff recruitment, background investigations of candidates for public safety positions, planning and oversight of department training, and coordination of the Field Training Officer (FTO) program. Additionally, staff in this division are responsible for managing the airport’s Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) system, which enhances security and assists in resolving law enforcement issues.
Criminal Investigations
A lieutenant manages this division and oversees general, aviation and regulatory, and narcotic investigations. A sergeant is responsible for leading the day-to-day activities of the detectives who work in one of these three areas and oversees the alcohol/tobacco compliance check program. The lieutenant is also responsible for Internal Affairs, which involves investigating incidents and plausible suspicions of professional misconduct attributed to officers on the force.
The General Investigations group is responsible for most criminal investigations within the Investigations Division. The general investigations detectives handle all levels of crimes, from misdemeanors to felonies. Detectives work on cases ranging from property and theft crimes to crimes against persons and homicide. Detectives collaborate with officers and attorneys to successfully prosecute crimes committed at MSP. They also liaise with crime victims to keep them informed of the criminal process. These detectives often work with other agencies to solve crimes committed at the airport and, when possible, provide evidence to help solve crimes committed in other jurisdictions. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecutes federal cases. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office prosecutes felony-level cases, criminal sexual conduct cases, and juvenile cases. Chestnut Cambronne Attorneys at Law prosecute gross misdemeanor, misdemeanor, and petty misdemeanor cases.
The Aviation and Regulatory Investigations group is a specialized investigations group. Aviation detectives perform investigations like other detectives, with the added responsibility of monitoring and testing the airport’s security measures. Aviation detectives work closely with other agencies and federal partners to deter and detect threats to the airport, which could include terrorism and insider threats. These detectives also handle a large majority of cases that involve airport employees as the subjects. Aviation detectives also complete many proactive details throughout the year to continuously deter threats of crime and terrorism.
The APD’s Narcotics Unit is comprised of a team of investigators and canines highly dedicated to disrupting the flow of narcotics into the Upper Midwest by focusing on the importation of narcotics through the transportation sector, specifically air travel, and parcels. They work diligently to extend their investigations beyond the initial seizure by working closely with other local, state, and federal drug task forces. Detectives in the narcotics unit have removed thousands of pounds of illegal narcotics from the streets and have seized millions of dollars in proceeds from the sale of illegal narcotics. In 2022, this unit won the National Award for Interdiction, reflecting the unit’s work to interrupt the flow of narcotics through the airport. Two canine (K-9) teams assist with the unit’s interdiction efforts. These narcotics detection K-9 teams are among the top in the nation. In addition, the K-9 teams assist with school searches, traffic stops, search warrants, and requests for assistance from other law enforcement agencies.
Emergency Communications Division
The airport's Emergency Communication Center (ECC) is one of 17 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) in the Twin Cities' nine-county metropolitan area that receives 911 calls or transfers calls to other public safety agencies. It operates 24/7 to respond to calls made on the airport's campus and surrounding area, and dispatches public safety services as needed. The ECC is responsible for monitoring a variety of systems such as fire protection, secure card access, perimeter security, and more than 3,000 security cameras.
The ECC is staffed by professional emergency communication specialists who come with a variety of backgrounds and public safety experience. Following national training standards, the ECC conducts a comprehensive 22-week on-the-job training program for new hires, which may be tailored to meet the needs of each candidate's experience level.
The ECC is a unique PSAP in that it serves an airport community with an ever-changing population of travelers, as well as airport tenants and Metropolitan Airports Commission employees. As there is a strong focus on aviation security, the ECC also works closely with various federal agencies, such as the Transportation Security Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, Center for Disease Control, FBI, and the Secret Service.
Visit the ECC page to learn more - Emergency Communications Center/Dispatch.
Administration Division
The APD’s administration division provides shared services for the department, such as records management and property and evidence intake and storage. Staff submit data to the State of Minnesota courts system, provide prosecuting and defense attorneys with the requested information, research and report statistics, respond to requests for law enforcement data, and handle the archival, retention, purging, and release of public information.
A civilian property and evidence technician is responsible for the intake, storage, and disposition of all property and evidence for the department until it is returned to the rightful owner or is deemed ready for disposal. The technician ensures that the chain of custody is properly maintained so the integrity of the evidence is not compromised.
