Davis Sky Marshals Proposal Hits Snag

Gov. Gray Davis said Wednesday that progress is being made on his proposal to use Highway Patrol officers as anti-terrorist sky marshals on California airliners, but the president of a police union warned that the proposal raises collective bargaining issues.

“There are a million questions that surround taking on a task like that. [They] would have to be answered first,” said Mark Muscardini, head of the California Assn. of Highway Patrolmen.

The emergence of a labor sticking point for Davis’ plan surfaced as officers of the union held a ceremony across the street from the Capitol to endorse the Democratic governor’s reelection effort.

With Davis at his side at a peace officers memorial, Muscardini said the politician had “put himself on the line time after time for law enforcement” and should be reelected next year. The union has contributed $68,000 to the governor since 1998.

In response to reporters’ questions, Davis said President Bush was “generally receptive” last week to his plan for CHP officers and local police to act as sky marshals when they are traveling on official business anyway.

Under Davis’ plan, the officers would serve as sky marshals only on in-state flights and only until replaced by an augmented force of full-time federal marshals. Washington, however, has made no firm decision on significantly increasing the size of the federal force, which recently totaled only a dozen or so.

“It just seems to make good sense to take advantage of a trained police professional on a plane that will give comfort to the passengers, crew and pilot,” Davis said.

After the Sept. 11 attacks Davis offered his plan to the Federal Aviation Administration, but he has not announced a response. Without disclosing details, the governor said Wednesday that he intends to discuss the plan early next week with Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta and Jane Garvey, director of the FAA.

As the governor’s limousine pulled away from the curb after the endorsement ceremony, Muscardini was asked about the union’s response to the plan.

He said no one from the administration had contacted the union about the proposal, which he said would constitute “an extra task” for officers who were already on duty while traveling.

Muscardini said other issues that need to be settled in collective bargaining talks include such things as the type of firearms and ammunition the officers would carry on the airliners, how much specialized training they would receive and whether they would wear civilian clothes or uniforms.

“There are a lot of logistical issues,” he said.

Muscardini said he believed the issues could be decided quickly.

The governor’s office has said his proposal to the federal government dealt only with CHP officers because they are under his jurisdiction. Although Davis favors the same use of local police and sheriff’s officers, it would be up to local departments to make such decisions for themselves, a spokesman said.