Los Angeles — In the wake of last month’s deadly shooting at Los Angeles International Airport , a local congresswoman has called for improvements to airport security, including the permanent assignment of armed police officers near passenger screening checkpoints. Rep. Maxine Waters , D-Los Angeles, also urged law enforcement officials to allow airport police to have access to all airport security cameras. "I believe these recommendations will play a vital role in ensuring that all travelers and airport employees are safe in our nation’s airports," said Waters, whose district includes LAX. Waters made the request on Thursday in a letter sent to John Pistole , head of the Transportation Security Administration , which is responsible for screening passengers at the nation’s commercial airports. In the Nov. 1 shooting, a gunman armed with an assault-style rifle entered Terminal 3 and shot his way through the screening area before he was shot and captured near the boarding gates. A TSA agent was killed and two other TSA officials as well as a schoolteacher were wounded. Paul Anthony Ciancia , 23, has been charged with murder and attempted murder in the attack. Earlier this year, the Los Angeles Airport Police Department removed armed officers from the checkpoints at LAX and added them to patrols, ending a policy that was put in place shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks. Critics of the decision, including former airport security officials, said the reassignment reduced the chances officers had of stopping the gunman. In addition, union […]

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