b'OPERATIONS SYR 63Sobiech. Werbeck retired from the Syracuse Police DepartmentNation, a federally recognized Indian nation on a 300,000-acre last summer to accept the airport police chief position. Sobiech isreservation in Central New York.a Gulf War veteran with 28 years in law enforcement, all with theWerbeck emphasizes that the nuances of airport police work Syracuse Police Department. require strong communication skills and a knack for interacting Although the title of SRAA police chief is new for Werbeck,with the public. The work is different from urban policing, and he leading the policing effort at SYR is not. The New York native beganscreened applicants accordingly. working at the airport shortly after 9/11 and oversaw the SyracuseWe want them to be engaging, approachable and we want Police Department Airport Section, serving as the direct liaisonthe passengers to feel safe, he explains. Its also important that between the city police department and Airport Authority. In thatairport staff understands they have a full-time police force that can role, he scheduled the city officers who wanted to pick up part-timehelp them with whatever they need.work at the airport and was the key point of contact for the SRAA. Before the recent transition, newly hired officers shadowed Werbeck, who began his new leadership role in August, saysofficers from the Syracuse Police Department who had airport that positive experiences at SYR over the last two decadesexperience. The new officers learned SYR badging regulations and convinced him to apply for and accept the police chief role. procedures, and became fully familiar with the airport grounds.I would take vacation days to work out here because I liked what was happening, he explains. I liked the interaction with theBenefits of a Full-Time Forcepassengers. I felt like I could do some things differently than I didThe airport contracted airport management consultant Steven when I was in a police car. It was very rewarding to see that theBaldwin Associates to help assess the feasibility of transitioning to folks we interacted with were thankful not only for our presence,an airport police department from its previous contract arrangement but the help you offered them. with the Syracuse Police Department. Specific services included a Its important for everyone to understand that we started thisbenchmarking analysis with seven comparable airports.department from scratch, Werbeck adds. In New York state, thisSteven Baldwin, the firms president and hasnt happened for 50 years. chief executive, explains that the Syracuse His goal is to earn accreditation for the new department fromPolice Department was wrestling with staffing the states Division of Criminal Justice Services. The voluntaryproblems of its own and had notified SRAA accreditation program is designed to improve the effectiveness,officials that it was uncertain how long the efficiency and professionalism of law enforcement agencies. It alsocity department would be able to continue promotes training and works to foster public confidence in lawthe airport policing contract. A hybrid model enforcement. that combined airport police with contractedSTEVEN BALDWIN security was considered, but the project team Werbeck served as program manager for the Syracuse Policeultimately determined that the best solution was for SYR to have Departments accreditation effort, and he also was an assessorits own department. for the state, reviewing other departments that applied for accreditation. Everything that you need to know to start off orBaldwin notes that other airports would be wise to proactively manage a police department I learned from being part of thatseek the authority for policing power when shifting from a city-accreditation program, he remarks. owned-and-operated model to an airport authority model (like SYR did in 2011).Because of Werbecks extensive background in accreditation and knowledge of what it takes to create, equip and train a policeTwo key advantages of having an in-house police department are force, the airport did not require outside consultants.increased control over staffing and consistency in shift coverage. Werbeck recalls firsthand how chaotic things could get when A timeline to apply for accreditation for the new airportSyracuse police officers who signed up for shifts at the airport backed department has not yet been set because he wants to make sureout at the last minute, because he himself worked such shifts. it will pass with flying colors. Hiring and Training The new SRAA Police Department is responsible for law enforcement at the terminals and throughout the airports 2,300-acre grounds. Its officers support privately contracted security personnel, who are tasked with ensuring that the airport complies with federal regulations.Police officers patrol SYR around-the-clock.PlanningDELTA AIRPORT EngineeringWerbeck notes that all of the officers hired have policeCONSULTANTS, INC. Environmentalbackgrounds, and many recently retired from variousIndustry Analysiswww.deltaairport.com Program Managementneighboring departments, including the State Police, the Construction AdministrationOnondaga County Sheriffs Office and the Oneida IndianBusiness & Financial PlanningAirportImprovement.comMay | June 2023'