Implementing Security Improvement Options at Los Angeles International Airport

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.