ORLANDO, Fla. — Leaders with the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority voted unanimously Wednesday to explore a new security plan that could involve creating its own police force instead of continuing a long-standing partnership with the Orlando Police Department.

What You Need To Know

On Wednesday afternoon, the GOAA board voted unanimously to move forward with discussions about creating a new airport police department

Other airports across the country have an internal police department, including Tampa International Airport

It’s too soon to tell how much the switch would cost, what the timeline would look like or how many staff members would be needed for the department

The vote means airport staff can do more research and bring information back to the GOAA board at a later date

“I am always in favor of having a discussion, whether I agree with the proposition to begin with or not,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “It is worth having the discussion and looking at all the pros and cons for both organizations.”

Dyer is also a GOAA board member and said the new department could benefit the city’s resources.

“It would free up however many officers we have at the airport to reassign them to different areas of the city, so that would allow us to immediately enhance the number of officers we have in different areas of the city,” Dyer said.

But former Orlando Police Chief and current Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, who also sits on the GOAA board, said it is important to remember, when the airport is short staffed, officers can be pulled from other areas. But if everything is internal, there are not the same opportunities.

Other airports across the country and in Florida have their own police departments, including Tampa International Airport.

“We enforce the law, we keep the peace, we help customers,” said Chief Charlie Vazquez from the Tampa International Airport Police Department.

The chief said his department operates as normal, but just on a smaller scale.

“The best part about it is that we, as the airport police department we are personally vested in the airport,” Vazquez said.

The Tampa International Airport Police Department has created agreements with area agencies to help if specialized teams are needed. In the department there are about 80 officers and about 80 personal staff. 

Orlando’s program would likely be larger, but for security reasons, the city would not share how many officers currently work at MCO.

It is still very early in the process there is no estimate on cost, timeline or the staff needed. But if this moved forward, it would be a big change as Orlando police have served the airport since it was founded in the 1970s.

A statement from the Orlando Police Department and the City of Orlando:

For decades, the Orlando Police Department has proudly served the Orlando International Airport (MCO) with the highest level of professionalism, living up to the department’s core values of Courage, Pride, and Commitment. MCO welcomes more than 57 million travelers each year, and OPD officers have worked hand in hand with GOAA, as well as our state and federal partners, to ensure the safety and security of all who pass through our world-class airport.

As Orlando continues to grow, so does our airport. This collaborative exploration reflects our shared commitment to plan proactively for that growth, ensuring that public safety services at MCO evolve in a way that best serves travelers and our entire community. Together, the City of Orlando, GOAA, and OPD will carefully assess the best path forward to continue delivering the exceptional level of service our residents and visitors expect.