Cover: Implementing Security Improvement Options at Los Angeles International Airport
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Implementing Security Improvement Options at Los Angeles International Airport

by Donald Stevens, Thomas Hamilton, Marvin Schaffer, Diana Dunham-Scott, Jamison Jo Medby, Edward W. Chan, John Gibson, Mel Eisman, Richard Mesic, Charles T. Kelley, Jr., et al.

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Despite the high level of security at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), there are good reasons to believe that LAX is viewed by some terrorist organizations as an attractive target. The RAND Corporation was commissioned by Los Angeles World Airports to conduct a series of studies on options for protecting LAX from terrorism. This documented briefing reviews the recommendations in an earlier RAND study (Donald Stevens, Terry Schell, Thomas Hamilton, Richard Mesic, Michael Scott Brown, Edward Wei-Min Chan, Mel Eisman, Eric V. Larson, Marvin Schaffer, Bruce Newsome, John Gibson, Elwyn Harris, Near-Term Options for Improving Security at Los Angeles International Airport, Santa Monica, Calif.: RAND Corporation, DB-468-1-LAWA, 2004), develops an LAX security implementation plan based on the 2004 recommendations, and evaluates installation of security film on windows facing LAX’s public roadway. The authors reassert the need for reducing the density of people in unsecured areas (areas in which baggage has not been inspected or areas near uninspected vehicles) and adding permanent vehicle security checkpoints with bomb-detection capabilities. Furthermore, they reasserted that adding security film to the tempered windows at LAX is not cost-effective or likely to reduce fatalities in the event of a bomb detonation.

The research described in this report was conducted under the auspices of the Homeland Security Program within RAND Infrastructure, Safety, and Environment (ISE) for Los Angeles World Airports.

This report is part of the RAND Corporation Documented briefing series. RAND documented briefings are based on research presented to a client, sponsor, or targeted audience in briefing format. Additional information is provided in the documented briefing in the form of the written narration accompanying the briefing charts. All RAND documented briefings undergo rigorous peer review to ensure that they meet high standards for research quality and objectivity. However, they are not expected to be comprehensive and may present preliminary findings. Major research findings are published in the monograph series; supporting or preliminary research is published in the technical report series.

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