Nov. 19, 2010 - James A. Wall, deputy director of the TEES Texas Center for Applied Technology (TCAT), has been appointed to a 26-member Blue Ribbon panel to conduct a security review of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and recommend improvements. On Nov. 18, Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa announced the appointment of the panel. After a top-to-bottom security review, the panel will provide recommendations for staying on the cutting edge of best practices in airport security, such as homeland security/counterterrorism, law enforcement, fire, emergency management, and the available resources for safety enhancements. "This panel will have full authority to review and inspect all aspects of security at LAX, which is a top terrorist target in the nation," Villaraigosa said. "We have continually made improvements to security at LAX, but we must ensure our facility and protocols remain state of the art to prevent and disrupt potential threats." The panel includes high caliber professionals from diverse fields including homeland security, law enforcement, academia, anti-terrorism, technology, and emergency management, and it will be chaired by Lourdes Baird, a retired federal judge. n a unique partnership, security experts from Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport will return for their third visit to LAX to advise the panel. In 2008 Villaraigosa negotiated a first of its kind cooperative agreement with the Israeli experts who conducted a study of LAX’s security measures and recommended areas of improvement. The Israelis will again review the airport’s security and meet with the panel and offer their insights on improving the public safety at the airport. The panel is expected to convene meetings later this month and to provide a summary of its findings by Spring 2011.
