Logan’s Security Chief an Aviation Field Novice

Among the surprises to emerge from last week’s terrorist attack is the fact that Logan International Airport’s chief of security had no background in aviation before assuming his job.

Former state trooper Joseph Lawless, 43, was then-Gov. William F. Weld’s personal driver eight years ago when Weld tapped him for the $125,000-a-year job.

“On paper, you can laugh about [Lawless] being a driver, but he was a state police guy, and he had done investigative work. It wasn’t a ridiculous idea on the face of it,” said former Weld advisor Martin Linsky, now a lecturer at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. “But it is hard to defend in retrospect.”

Massachusetts Port Authority officials would not permit Lawless to be interviewed for this story. But with international attention focused on Boston’s busy airport, Lawless suddenly became a media presence.

Hours after two planes that left Logan on Sept. 11 crashed into New York’s World Trade Center, a stone-faced Lawless told Massachusetts residents about increased subway service to help passengers stranded at Logan. Lawless assured the commonwealth that airport administrators were working closely with the Federal Aviation Administration, the FBI and state police. He announced a “dramatic” increase in police presence at Logan, and declared that possible security breeches were under investigation “starting right now.”

But just as quickly, Lawless was grilled about slip-ups at Logan: Just how did the terrorists pass through security? “Logan is as secure as any other airport in this country,” he steadfastly maintained.

Lawless did admit, however, that FAA guidelines allow 5% of employee identification badges to “go missing” at any time. About 12,000 Massport employees carry such badges at Logan. At least one real or fraudulent Logan identification badge was reported to have been found in a car the hijackers abandoned at the airport here.

Lawless also sparked an embarrassing dispute by telling federal agents their help was not needed in putting in place new FAA security measures. Sidestepping Lawless, senior federal officials informed airport administrators that they intended to lend a hand.

Bestowing political patronage on key jobs at seaports and airports is “extraordinary,” University of Texas public affairs professor Leigh Boske said. “I’ve never heard of such a thing,” the transportation policy specialist said.

In staffing sensitive administrative and technical positions “normally you have national and international searches,” Boske said. Installing the governor’s driver as security chief “sounds bizarre.”

Lawless’ boss, Massport President and CEO Virginia Buckingham, also has no aviation experience. Buckingham is a former Weld press aide who in 1998 managed the successful gubernatorial campaign of Weld’s Republican successor, Paul Cellucci. Her predecessor, former Republican congressman Peter I. Blute--a Weld appointee--also had no experience running an airport.

Weld and Cellucci were not available for comment.