Should MidAmerica Airport foot the bill for its own police as flight traffic increases?
An anticipated increase in flights from MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah to a new beachfront destination could put additional strain on the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department, according to the executive deputy in charge of the budget.
The airport is owned by St. Clair County and receives law enforcement help from sheriff’s deputies.
The Public Building Commission, which manages county-owned properties, on Thursday discussed the possibility of having MidAmerica employ its own police as a solution.
Currently, a sheriff’s deputy is stationed at the airport based on flight schedules to ensure they can meet the required response time of 15 minutes if they are called to a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint for an issue like a traveler carrying a weapon, according to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport Director Darren James.
Lt. Col. Thomas Knapp, of the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department, raised concerns Thursday about new traffic to Gulf Shores, Alabama, and future plans for international flights during discussion at the Public Building Commission’s meeting about the airport budget.
“The better the airport does, the more it digs into the sheriff’s department budget,” Knapp said. “The more flights that go out of there, the more people we have to have.”
Knapp estimated the average manpower needed at the airport this fall has been 80 regular hours plus 92 overtime hours in a two-week pay period.
“Now, when it gets to be May, June, July, August, it’s triple, speaking in general terms,” Knapp said. “... It’s kind of getting to be unsustainable.”
James said he expects Gulf Shores to be among the airport’s most popular destinations after flights start May 23.
Public Building Commission member Terry Beach suggested hiring two to three part-time officers, who could be retired from other agencies or trained by the Southwestern Illinois Part Time Police Academy, as part of future airport budgets.
“That’s just something to throw out there: Working for them but paid by us as a part-time officer only to work for the airport,” Beach said. “That’s the possible solution.”
James noted that other airports have their own police force.
Public Building Commission member Rick Effinger expressed support for the idea. Knapp said in an interview after the meeting that he also supported it.
“I think that’s a good thing. That’s why I keep bringing it up,” he said, referring to previous budget talks.
The Public Building Commission did not come to a decision or vote on any proposal related to law enforcement at MidAmerica during Thursday’s meeting.
Two of the seven members of the commission, Charles Lee and Edmond Brown, were absent.
