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National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United StatesInterview
of
Joseph
M.
Lawless, November
5,
2003Opening Statement
My name is Joseph M.
Lawless,
and I am the former Director ofPublic Safety for the
Massport
Authority. During my eight-year tenure inthat position,Ioversaw Massport security issuesatLogan InternationalAirport,
Hanscom
Field, Worcester Regional Airport, the Boston Seaport,
the
Tobin Bridge and all other Massport properties. Since October
2001,1
have been serving as the Director of Maritime and Bridge Security forMassport operations
in and
around Boston Harbor,
the
Boston Seaport
and
the
Tobin
Bridge.
I
have
had no
authority over aviation matters since
that
time.
At
the outset, the record should be clear that, under my leadership,and with the assistance of a dedicated and professional
staff
at Massport and
the
Massachusetts State Police, Logan Airport
was one of the
most secureCategory
X
airports
in the
country.
The FAA
certified
Logan's
airportsecurity plan each year during
my
eight-year tenure.
The
MassportDepartment of Public Safety regularly
received
federal and state grantmoney because
it was
among
the
best
in the
nation.
The FAA and
otherfederalagencies (including NTSB), and aviation industry groups routinely
 
citedLogan and the Massport Security operations as examples for otherairport operators
from
around the country. During my tenure as
Massport's
Director of Public Safety, Massport had one of the best and most innovativesecurity
programs
in the country. (Tab 1). I was commended in my annualperformance evaluationsatMassportforestablishing "cutting edgestandards"and for mystrong leadershipinpromoting
safety
andsecurityconcerns
atMassport.
Prior to assuming my position as Director of Public
Safety
atMassport, I
served
for thirteen years
with
the Massachusetts
State
Police.For six of those
years,
I worked as a field
officer,
conducting investigations
and
operating as a liaison between State Police field operations and StatePolice Detectives. I also spent approximately five years as an investigator
for
the Bureau of Investigative Services in the Middlesex County DistrictAttorney's
Office.
DuringmytenureinMiddlesex County,Iparticipatedin
the
investigation of
more
than
100
homicide cases, including several high-
profile
homicide
cases
under ThomasReilly—now
the
MassachusettsAttorney General. I
also
investigated numerous complex criminal
offenses
involving white-collar crime, drug
trafficking
and various organized crime
operations.
Lreceived extensive training
in
leadership
and
investigation
_
ir
techniques
from
the FBI.
 
In
1991, the Superintendent of the State Police assigned me toestablish and direct the Executive Protection Unit for the Governor and theLieutenant Governor
of the
Commonwealth
of
Massachusetts.
In
thatposition,
I was
responsible
for the
planning
and
oversight
of
security issues
for
the
Governor,
Lieutenant Governor
and
visiting
dignitaries, includingseveral Presidents of the
United
States. I supervised security measures incooperation with
the
Secret Service during visits
of
President George H.W.Bush, President William
J.
Clinton
and
First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton,as well
as
visits
by
numerous foreign dignitaries.
In
connection with thisposition,
I
received
training
from
and
worked
directly
with
the
United StatesSecret Service,theState Department,theFederal Aviation Administration,andother divisions of the
federal
government. During my tenure in theExecutive Protection Unit, the unit successfully
defended
the MassachusettsExecutive branch
of
government
from
several serious security
threats—
including
several
specific threats
from
radical, pro-life activists.
I am
particularly proud of the
fact
that during my tenure at the ExecutiveProtection Unit there were
no
breaches
of
security
in the
unit's
protection
of
these
leaders.
In September
1993,1
was
recruited
by the
Executive Director
of
Massport
to
become
its
Director
of
Public Safety. Shortly
after
taking this
of 00

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