The Airport Police Service (APS) () is a small private police force responsible for providing general security and

aviation security Airport security includes the techniques and methods used in an attempt to protect passengers, staff, aircraft, and airport property from malicious harm, crime, terrorism, and other threats. Aviation security is a combination of measures and hum ...

duties at the three state airports in Ireland:

Dublin Airport Dublin Airport () is an international airport serving Dublin, Ireland. It is operated by DAA (formerly Dublin Airport Authority). The airport is located in Collinstown, north of Dublin, and south of the town of Swords. In 2024, over 34 ...

Cork Airport Cork Airport () is the second-largest international airport in the Republic of Ireland, after Dublin Airport, Dublin and ahead of Shannon Airport, Shannon. It is south of Cork (city), Cork City centre, in an area known as Farmers Cross. In ...

and

Shannon Airport Shannon Airport () is an international airport located in County Clare in Ireland. It is adjacent to the Shannon Estuary and lies halfway between Ennis and Limerick. With almost 2 million passengers in 2023, the airport is the third busiest ...

. The Airport Police Service was first founded in 1936 in Dublin Airport and first became "Authorised Officers" under section 15 of the Air Navigation and Transport Act 1950 for the Minister of Transport.

Organisation & role

The APS is established, funded and maintained by the owners of

and

, DAA (previously known as Dublin Airport Authority) and in

by the Shannon Airport Authority, both entities are owned by the

Irish Government The Government of Ireland () is the executive authority of Ireland, headed by the , the head of government. The government – also known as the cabinet – is composed of ministers, each of whom must be a member of the , which consists of ...

. The role and objectives of the Airport Police Service is the prevention, detection and response to all minor criminal acts occurring within their jurisdictional area along with ensuring public safety and the maintenance of public order. The force is also mandated to safeguard the airport from acts of unlawful interference to civil aviation. The Airport Police Service play an integral role as a secondary responding agency (RA) in the event of any major emergency or incident occurring in the airport and work alongside the Airport Fire & Rescue Service or agencies such as Gardaí, HSE or Dublin Fire Brigade & Ambulance Service / local fire service. Each of the state airport authorities are "statutory undertakers" under section 23 of the Air Navigation and Transport (Amendment) Act 1998. The companies meets statutory requirements under the act by having its own police service while also meeting other requirements under other national and international aviation regulations and legislation which are required to be met for the state airports to operate. At the state airports, each force is led by a chief police officer who is responsible for the oversight and management of the police service. The chief officer is supported by a group of senior officers and a team of support staff. Officers of the service have some powers of detention and intervention authorised by the

Minister for Transport A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government a ...

Airport Authority An airport authority is an entity responsible for the operation and oversight of an airport or group of airports. The Airports Council International is the world trade association of airport authorities. In some countries, when the authority of an ...

under section 48 of the Act of 1998 and other powers granted through other

acts The Acts of the Apostles (, ''Práxeis Apostólōn''; ) is the fifth book of the New Testament; it tells of the founding of the Christian Church and the spread of its message to the Roman Empire. Acts and the Gospel of Luke make up a two-par ...

, police officers of the APS after selection and successful completion of recruit training are appointed and empowered as authorised officers and issued with an ID card, these powers may be used within the limits and premises of each of the Irish state airports, and elsewhere on lands and roadways belonging to the Minister of Transport.

General powers and status of officers

Members of the Airport Police Service have the powers to: *

Stop and search Stop and search or Stop and frisk is a term used to describe the powers of the police to search a person, place or object without first making an arrest. Examples in specific jurisdictions include: * in England and Wales * in Scotland * Terry stop ...

(this includes persons, their property, vehicles, aircraft and cargo in an airport). *

Demand In economics, demand is the quantity of a goods, good that consumers are willing and able to purchase at various prices during a given time. In economics "demand" for a commodity is not the same thing as "desire" for it. It refers to both the desi ...

a person's name and address, evidence of one's identity and other relevant information. *

Detain Detention is the process whereby a state or private citizen holds a person by removing or restricting their freedom or liberty at that time. Detention can be due to (pending) criminal charges against the individual pursuant to a prosecution or ...

persons (for such time as is reasonably necessary for the exercise of any of his/her powers under Section 33 Air Navigations & Transport Act 1988) * Remove and

issue Issue or issues may refer to: Publishing * ''Issue'' (company), a mobile publishing company * ''Issue'' (magazine), a monthly Korean comics anthology magazine * Issue (postal service), a stamp or a series of stamps released to the public * '' ...

persons banning orders (these are usually issued in cases of anti-social behaviour) to temporarily prohibit a person's re-entry to the airport. *

Arrest An arrest is the act of apprehending and taking a person into custody (legal protection or control), usually because the person has been suspected of or observed committing a crime. After being taken into custody, the person can be question ...

a person on the minister's land—this includes passenger terminals, cargo areas, car parks, on board aircraft, runways, radar sites or on any air navigation installation—this also includes any other roadways, land or property owned, leased or operated by the Dublin Airport Authority or Minister for Transport, even if it is located outside of an airport's security perimeter fence, for the purpose of handing such persons over to Gardai for investigation and prosecution. *Other powers of

enforcement Enforcement is the proper execution of the process of ensuring compliance with laws, regulations, rules, standards, and social norms. Governments attempt to effectuate successful implementation of policies by enforcing laws and regulations. En ...

conferred upon them, such as those detailed within the airport byelaws. Members of the APS are defined as "competent persons" employed by a public authority under Section 18 of Criminal Justice Act 2006 for the purpose of taking and receiving witness statements in the course of their duties. Dublin Airport Police

Under Section 33 of the Air Navigation and Transport Act 1988 (as amended by the Air Navigation and Transport Act 1998), they can arrest persons in connection with offences under that act or certain other legislation provided such persons are handed over to Gardai as soon as possible. It is an offence to obstruct, impede, assault or impersonate an authorised officer (Each warranted member of the police service is classed as an authorised officer under law.) Each year, officers of the force effect several hundred arrests for a wide variety of offences, including assault, theft, fraud and breach of the public order. Members of the Airport Police are required to transfer custody of their

prisoner A prisoner, also known as an inmate or detainee, is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement or captivity in a prison or physical restraint. The term usually applies to one serving a Sentence (law), se ...

s over to the

Garda Síochána (; meaning "the Guardian(s) of the Peace") is the national police and security service of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is more commonly referred to as the Gardaí (; "Guardians") or "the Guards". The service is headed by the Garda Commissio ...

for investigation and if warranted, to be prosecuted by the Director of Public Prosecutions. Offences committed under the Airports byelaws detected by the Airport Police can be dealt with by way of reporting for

summons A summons (also known in England and Wales as a claim form or plaint note, and in the Australian state of New South Wales as a court attendance notice (CAN)) is a legal document issued by a court (a ''judicial summons'') or by an administrative ag ...

to the

district court District courts are a category of courts which exists in several nations, some call them "small case court" usually as the lowest level of the hierarchy. These courts generally work under a higher court which exercises control over the lower co ...

to initiate a prosecution on behalf of the Airport Authority, or by the issue of a

fixed penalty notice In the United Kingdom, a fixed penalty notice (FPN) is a notice giving an individual the opportunity to be made immune from prosecution for an alleged criminal offence in exchange for a fee. Fixed penalty notices were introduced in Britain in the ...

Agency relationships

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the APS and the

Office of the Revenue Commissioners The Revenue Commissioners (), commonly called Revenue, is the Irish Government agency responsible for customs, excise, taxation and related matters. Though Revenue can trace itself back to predecessors (with the Act of Union 1800 amalgamating ...

and other agencies such as AAIU or the Taxi Regulator sets out each organisation's responsibilities and inter-agency co-operation. The Airport Police have a long-standing and positive relationship with these other agencies. Mutual support and assistance is common. The APS also work closely with the aviation security section within the

Department of Transport A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government a ...

to identify and respond to emerging threats to civil aviation in Ireland. Dublin Airport 1940 terminal building

The APS can undertake initial response to all criminal offences under the Airports and Aviation Acts 1936 to 2004, airport byelaws and other legislation within the airport. Any criminal offences however must be reported to Gardai as the airport police have no powers of investigation. However, APS officers will take immediate necessary action prior to the arrival of the Garda Síochána in some cases. Armed

detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads the ...

s from the

Garda National Immigration Bureau The Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB; Irish: ''Biúró Náisiúnta an Gharda Síochána um Inimirce'') is a unit of the Garda Síochána, the police force of Ireland. It was formed in May 2000, and is responsible for the enforcement of immi ...

(GNIB) are stationed at a number of airports in Ireland, and armed officers from the

Garda Emergency Response Unit The Emergency Response Unit (ERU) () is the police tactical unit of the ''Garda Síochána'', Republic of Ireland, Ireland's national police and security service. The unit was a section of the forces' Special Detective Unit (SDU), under the Gar ...

(ERU) and regional

Garda Armed Support Unit Armed Support Units (ASU) () are specialist regional firearms units of the ''Garda Síochána'', the national police force of Ireland. Based in all four Garda regions in the country, Gardaí attached to an ASU unit carry a combination of lethal ...

s (ASU) sometimes patrol airports, particularly during heightened states of alert.

Ranks

*Police officer (''oifigeach póilíní'') / police dog handler (

APDU In the context of smart cards, an application protocol data unit (APDU) is the communication unit between a smart card reader and a smart card. The structure of the APDU is defined by ISO/IEC 7816-4 ''Organization, security and commands for interc ...

; ''láimhseálaí maidre'') *Sergeant (''sairsint'') *Inspector (''cigire'') *Chief airport police officer (CAPO) Apfs rank markingsg1

Staffing and structure

At Dublin Airport, the Police Service now operates as a separate service to the Airport Fire & Rescue Service recruiting officers directly into either service. Recruitment into the force is currently conducted internally. To be eligible to apply a person must be employed by the

, be over the age of 18 and meet a number of recruitment criteria similar to those that are required of entrants to the Gardaí or

Dublin Fire Brigade Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB; ) is the fire and rescue service and ambulance service for County Dublin, including Dublin city, in Ireland. It is a local authority service, operated by Dublin City Council on behalf of that council and those of Fi ...

. A number of officers still rotate duties between both services on a shift by shift or operational requirements basis. In both Cork Airport and Shannon Airport the police/fire service is still combined. There are over 300 members of all services between the three airports.

Support units

Although the majority of officers perform uniformed and plain clothes patrol duties, the force also includes a number of varied police operational support units such as: * Airport Police Dog Unit *Investigation Support Section *Training Unit *Access Identification Control Unit

Uniform, equipment, facilities and vehicles

Headgear

Officers wear a navy

peaked cap A peaked cap, peaked hat, service cap, barracks cover, or combination cap is a form of headgear worn by the armed forces of many nations, as well as many uniformed civilian organisations such as law enforcement agencies and fire departments. It d ...

with the force's cap badge attached when on mobile patrol. Officers holding the rank of inspector or above also wear peaked caps but with slight differences to denote their senior role.

Uniform

When on duty officers wear a dark navy, wicking T-shirt with the words 'Airport Police' on the sleeves, along with dark navy tactical trousers and a pair of

Gore-Tex Gore-Tex is W. L. Gore & Associates's trade name for waterproof, breathable fabric membrane. It was invented in 1969. Gore-Tex blocks liquid water while allowing water vapor to pass through and is designed to be a lightweight, waterproof fabri ...

boots. Airport officers no longer use the traditional police jumper, having favoured a black fleece with 'Airport Police' written on the chest and back and the same sequence on the issue high-visibility patrol

blouson A blouson or blouse jacket is a jacket that is drawn tight at the waist, causing it to blouse out and hang over the waistband. Originating in military uniforms of the mid-20th century, versions continue to be used as part of military, paramil ...

jacket. Formal dress comprises a dark navy open-necked tunic and uniform trousers, with a blue shirt/blouse and tie. The No.1 uniform is accompanied by black boots or shoes. For ceremonial events such as passing out parades, guards of honour or on funerals duties, a white staple-belt, gloves and shoulder lanyard are worn.

Personal equipment

Members of the APS are required to wear a

stab vest A stab vest or stab proof vest is a reinforced piece of body armor, worn under or over other items of clothing, which is designed to resist knife attacks to the chest, back and sides. Stab vests can be made from a variety of materials but are ...

whilst on patrol. Currently, officers also wear a high visibility yellow tactical vests. In addition, officers carry

Motorola Motorola, Inc. () was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois. It was founded by brothers Paul and Joseph Galvin in 1928 and had been named Motorola since 1947. Many of Motorola's products had been ...

digital radios, Hiatt rigid handcuffs,

torch A torch is a stick with combustible material at one end which can be used as a light source or to set something on fire. Torches have been used throughout history and are still used in processions, symbolic and religious events, and in juggl ...

notebook A notebook (also known as a notepad, writing pad, drawing pad, or legal pad) is a book or stack of paper pages that are often ruled and used for purposes such as note-taking, journaling or other writing, drawing, or scrapbooking and more. ...

, resuscitation mask and a basic first aid kit.

Facilities

, the Airport Police Station is centrally located on the arrivals road of Terminal 1. The stations public office is open from 07:00 to 23:00 and deals with enquiries from members of the public and staff. All

lost property A lost and found (American English) or lost property (British English), or lost articles (also Canadian English) is an office in a public building or area where people can go to retrieve lost articles that may have been found by others. Freq ...

that is found within the airport is also handed in and claimed at this location along, with matters relating to impounded vehicles or unattended baggage or other such offences in accordance with the airport byelaws. Incidents requiring the attention of the Airport Police can be reported there also. The force also operates an emergency phone line for members of the public to contact them on, along with state-of-the-art police control rooms for the management and co-ordination of the airport's security operations and incident response.

Vehicles and livery

The Airport Police Service uses a selection of vehicles for their individual capabilities and the requirements of the roles for which they are employed these include: *

Mitsubishi Outlander The is a mid-size crossover SUV manufactured by Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors since 2001. It was originally known as the when it was introduced in Japan. The original Airtrek name was chosen to "describe the vehicle's ability to tran ...

– Response/Patrol Vehicle 4x4s *

Ford Transit Connect The Ford Transit Connect is a compact panel van sold by Ford since 2002. Developed by Ford of Europe, the model line replaced sedan-based vans ( Ford Escort and Ford Courier vans) with a dedicated commercial vehicle platform. The model lin ...

– General Purpose/Prisoner Transport Vehicle *

Škoda Octavia The Škoda Octavia is a small family car (C-segment) produced by the Czech Republic, Czech Automotive industry, car manufacturer Škoda Auto since the end of 1996. It shares its name with an Škoda Octavia (1959–71), earlier model produced b ...

– Response/Patrol Vehicle *

Land Rover Discovery The Land Rover Discovery is a series of five or seven-seater family SUVs, produced under the Land Rover marque, from the British manufacturer Land Rover, and later Jaguar Land Rover. The series is currently in its fifth iteration (or generat ...

– Dog Unit 4x4s The Airport Police Service currently use the standard yellow and blue retro-reflective Battenberg markings, together with the force crest, on all marked, operational vehicles. the force also utilize *Unmarked police vehicles *EOD/IED mobile bomb containment systems *Incident control unit All police drivers undergo a standard response driving course. Officers may activate the emergency blue lighting and sirens when responding to an emergency while on duty. Police vehicles may contain a variety of equipment, which can include

traffic cone Traffic cones, also called pylons, witches' hats, road cones, highway cones, safety cones, caution cones, channelizing devices, construction cones, roadworks cones, or just cones, are usually cone-shaped markers that are placed on roads or footpa ...

s, road signs,

defibrillators Defibrillation is a treatment for life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, specifically ventricular fibrillation (V-Fib) and non-perfusing ventricular tachycardia (V-Tach). Defibrillation delivers a dose of electric current (often called a ''count ...

, traffic speed guns and the like.

Airport Fire Rescue Service

The Airport Fire & Rescue Service () (AFRS) operate from the fire station on Dublin Airport's westlands beside the ATC complex and from similar modern fire stations in both Cork & Shannon airports. Dublin Airport also have the largest non-military fire station in Europe. The services provides fire cover to both the entire airport campus, aircraft operations and to surrounding areas on request from their respective local authority fire service e.g.

. An airport's fire & rescue service is led by its own

chief fire officer Chief fire officer (CFO), formerly often just chief officer or county fire officer, is the highest rank in the fire and rescue services of the United Kingdom. There are currently 50 chief fire officers serving in the United Kingdom in charge of t ...

, who has overall responsibility for the delivery of all its mandated roles and services. The AFRS incorporates its own separate rank structure to that of the police. *Firefighter *Station officer *Aerodrome fire officer *Chief fire officer The AFRS is classed as a "Rescue Fire Fighting Service" and it is required and maintained by the DAA to satisfy and comply with

Irish Aviation Authority The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) () is a commercial semi-state company in Ireland responsible for the regulation of safety aspects of air travel. Its head office is in The Times Building in Dublin. Background The authority regulates the safe ...

licensing and regulatory requirements as per

ICAO The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international sch ...

Annex 14 Airport Manual. ICAO-Annex 14 requires the RFFS to be *Professionally organised, adequately equipped, sufficiently staffed and effectively trained to operate the equipment, with a goal of saving lives. In

the fire service also provide an emergency

ambulance An ambulance is a medically-equipped vehicle used to transport patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport. Ambulances are used to respond to ...

service, with paramedics trained to Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) standard. The service have a modern array of Crash Rescue Fire appliances along with its own Domestic Class-B Water Ladder Appliances, a

HAZMAT Hazmat, HazMat or HAZMAT may refer to: * Dangerous goods, hazardous materials and items * Hazmat suit * Hazmat diving * Hazmat (comics) is a Marvel Comics character * ''HazMat'' (film), a 2013 horror film See also * Hazmat Modine Hazmat Mo ...

unit and a Skylift/Aerial Platform/ Dublin Airport Fire Service gallery alongside a modern aircraft fire simulation rig & their own ex-

Ryanair Ryanair is an Irish Low-cost carrier#Ultra low-cost carrier, ultra low-cost airline group headquartered in Swords, County Dublin, Ireland. The parent company, Ryanair Holdings plc, includes subsidiaries Ryanair , Malta Air, Buzz (Ryanair), Buzz ...

both of which are used for training purposes. Due to the smaller size of Cork and Shannon airports, the Fire Service is staffed by a mix of police and firefighters rotating between roles. In Dublin, the services operate under the umbrella of the APFS, but operate independently to each other, except for a number of officers whom continue to rotate between both services.

Airport Police Fire Service Band

The APFS brass band was formed in October 1995, and gave its first public performance on Dublin Airport in January 1996. The band comprises serving members of both services and associate members. They provide music for official Airport functions (such as graduation ceremonies at the Airport Police and Airport Fire & Rescue Service) the band undertakes a community-oriented programme each year performing at schools, festivals and charity events.

References

External links

Dublin Airports Authority official website

Dublin Airport Fire & Rescue Gallery

APFS Band website

Shannon Airport Fire Service gallery

Cork Airport Police Fire Service gallery

Instruments with mention of the Airport Police Fire Service

Airport Police Fire Service feature in RTE Capital D Documentary
{{Europe topic, Law enforcement in Airport law enforcement agencies Airport Police (Ireland) 1936 establishments in Ireland