Gaughan’s Airport Gamble: No Cops, No Funding, and a Partnership at Risk

For a man who claims to care about public safety, Bill Gaughan has a strange new crusade: he doesn’t want police officers at the airport anymore.

At the exact moment when airports across the country are tightening security, when federal oversight has increased, and when every regional facility is expected to meet strict compliance standards, Gaughan is arguing that AVP — the airport, jointly owned between Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties — doesn’t need real law enforcement on site. He insists that security guards are good enough.

They aren’t. And this posture is putting Lackawanna County’s ownership of the airport at real risk.

Luzerne County officials have now scheduled a Nov. 19 meeting — an “open and frank” discussion — because they’re openly questioning whether Lackawanna County is a reliable partner anymore. They are paying for a Law Enforcement Officer program that costs $144,000 a year, while Gaughan refuses to contribute even though FAA rules and common sense both point in one direction: an airport needs police.

This is part of the security apparatus that keeps federal funding flowing and keeps the airport compliant. In fact, both counties must approve a new partnership agreement by Jan. 1 or the FAA can withhold crucial funds.

The entire situation only became Luzerne’s responsibility because Avoca police — who used to staff the airport with federal TSA funding — had to pull out in 2021. When a grant ended this year, Luzerne picked up the cost to keep the airport staffed with police. They’re carrying the full weight right now, even though AVP is a joint asset.

Meanwhile, Gaughan tells the public that because security guards can detain people and call a cop later, that’s good enough. That logic ignores the basic reality that detaining dangerous individuals isn’t the same as having sworn law enforcement present.

Luzerne County’s own district attorney, Sam Sanguedolce, said it best: “I can’t believe that in 2025, we’re having a discussion about not putting police officers in an airport.” The only reason this is even a debate is because Bill Gaughan made it one.

And the consequences could be severe. Luzerne County is now openly weighing its options — including taking full ownership of the airport or creating a new authority that cuts Lackawanna County out entirely. For decades, the airport has been a shared regional asset. Today, Lackawanna’s partner county is asking whether Lackawanna is even capable of holding up its end.

One official is threatening the airport’s operational stability and jeopardizing Lackawanna County’s fifty-six-year partnership with Luzerne. The FAA clock is ticking, the agreement deadline is Jan. 1, and Luzerne clearly isn’t playing games.

The question now isn’t whether the airport needs police. The question is whether Lackawanna County can afford any more leadership that doesn’t understand what’s at stake.