A public message to our elected officials in congress:
Dear Sens. Casey and Fetterman and U.S. Reps. Cartwright and Meuser:
You probably know that the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office employs the police officers who protect the airport employees, airline staff and traveling public at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport. In the past, the salaries of these officers were paid back by the federal government so that the burden of paying to protect travelers leaving our airport was not solely on the shoulders of Luzerne County taxpayers.
On April 16, 2024, the Department of Homeland Security and Transportation Security Administration stated that this funding ends May 1, 2024. Specifically, we were told that H.R. 2822, The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, which “largely supported the Fiscal Year 2024 President’s Budget Request, include(ed) necessary cuts to some areas.” Apparently, one of these areas is all funding for airport police officers. Again, these cuts are effective May 1, 2024, 14 days after we were notified, and the airport was told to end all agreements with law enforcement under the reimbursement program.
We simply cannot have “homeland security” while the government cuts the funding that literally gives the police the authority to make arrests at our airports. Our office is asking you to help regain the funding that pays these officers for their valuable services and the risks they take to keep us safe, and unfortunately, time is not on our side.
Samuel M. Sanguedolce
Luzerne County District Attorney
