Dear IAASP Members, 

As your newly elected President of the IAASP – International Association of Airport & Seaport Police, I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am for all your tremendous support in electing me to this position.  With my new Board and hard work by the Secretariat, I feel we are on the verge of making a loud noise in the aviation and maritime world at last, based on all the developments and steady progress we have made; in our IMO – International Maritime Organization application for Full Consulting Status, our new Affiliate Membership category, our new professional online membership system and our many efforts to establish educational programs and public/private partnerships for Sponsorship and Grant Funding.  

As your new President of the IAASP, it will be my duty to direct, assist and guide this Association to meet all our major objectives and continue to influence the standards of safety and security in all our global ports.

Our major priorities as a global ports police association still remains to combat the influence of international organized crime and terrorism in all ports throughout the world and the development and furtherance of Dedicated Ports Policing, Customs and Security standards and establishing useful informal international liaisons for the exchange of intelligence information and experience. 

I am challenging ALL the international Chiefs of Police and members of the IAASP to support your newly elected Regional Liaison Officers in their initiatives to grow your regions and recruit new membership and to fully support the new Affiliate Membership category we all voted on, which is to recruit “Rank & File” members from our own port police departments and customs and security organizations or, to help grow the membership of the IAASP.  If all you Chiefs of Police can do this within your own departments (or with your union presidents) and also “spread the word” to neighbouring ports to also come and join THEIR ASSOCIATION, the IAASP is going to be well represented now and into its future – the future of the IAASP depends on attracting this new level of membership and it is where its future leadership should be developed and comes from. We have much work to do, so lets all support and grow the IAASP as much as possible, even if it means we all make an effort to recruit one new member this coming year.

Best wishes to you all for a safe and productive year,

Chief of Police Russell Whitmarsh

Port of Houston Authority, Texas U.S.A.