Alderman: De-certifying aviation police would 'de-stabilize' safety

Aviation Commissioner Ginger Evans was urged Tuesday to abandon plans to "decertify" Chicago's $19 million-a-year force of 292 unarmed aviation police officers or risk making a move that would "destabilize the safety" of O'Hare and Midway airports.

During the 12 years he spent as a Southwest Airlines skycap at Midway Airport, rookie Ald. Ray Lopez (15th) said he saw "many incidents where aviation police responded to calls in a quicker fashion" than Chicago Police officers.

Lopez has introduced an "order" that would mandate the Chicago Police Department and the Department of Aviation to "identify means for the consolidation" of the two law-enforcement agencies within 60 days.

Evans announced last week that the unarmed security officers would survive the passenger dragging fiasco aboard a United Airlines flight, but only after their roles are minimized, their training is overhauled and the word "police" is stripped from their badges, uniforms and vehicles.

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