It’s family and free time from now on for Mark Mancuso, the security hawk who has watched over the Houston Airport System (HAS) during the past 36 years. December 31, 2007 was the last official day this soft spoken former police captain, who ran the HAS police force for decades, reported to work as the deputy director of public safety and information technology. Behind his disarming smile is a trained mediator, graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and the Secret Service Dignitary Protection School in Washington D.C. Mark is also a man who stood ready and able to help calm fears here at Houston’s airports on that fateful day, September 11, 2001. “We didn’t know what we had at first,” recalls Mancuso. “So my belief was to air on the side of caution. It didn’t hurt to go ahead and get ready and open the command center. To be late in doing something like that would be a mistake. So I think that the quick action of getting it up and running helped us stay in charge at the airport.” Developing a more secure airport environment in a post 9/11 world became Mark’s mission. His tag line – ‘high tech and high touch’ – might tell you a lot about his layered approach to security, which he promotes with a heavy dose of customer service. “I think most law enforcement officers that I know are really intent on serving the public. Most police officers like finding that loss child, helping people find their way and doing nice things,” says Mancuso. “We just have the opportunity to do far more of that than the average police officer and so we make it a priority.” During his tenure HAS gained national and international attention for a series of unique and progressive security programs, including the groundbreaking Airport Rangers. This group of volunteer citizens was trained and deployed to patrol the airport perimeter on horseback.

© Houston Airport System Fearless Leader. Mark Mancuso leaves a legacy of hig-tech and high-touch security.

The program, which was the brain child of Rick Vacar, director of aviation for HAS, recruited more than 800 volunteers under the direction of Mark’s security group.

“His inherent paranoia led to one of the best security programs in the nation,” says Rick Vacar with a smile but he then turned reflective about what Mancuso had accomplished during difficult times, “He was able in a relative short period of time after 911 to establish a public safety program that is clearly one of the best in the nation and that effort will remain for a long time to come. He is one of the best.”

Mark introduced a Public Safety team to HAS – you’ll know them from their bright yellow shirts – a group that helps direct traffic, patrol the airport terminals answering questions from passengers, giving directions and keeping an eye out for suspicious behavior.

He launched a series of technology upgrades, from digital cameras, to an infra-red security project, to behavioral recognition training for staff.

Most recently Mark helped launch the worldwide premier of the mobile threat containment units, which he co-designed along with a private sector company. The TCU’s located at both George Bush Intercontinental and William P. Hobby airports are designed to contain and transport a suspicious item from the security checkpoint to a clear and safe area where it can be processed.

The idea is to remove the threat without shutting down the terminal.

The tough guy got a little glassy eyed when we talked with him about his retirement but he’s not going too far away. He’s working on consulting projects; he’s a recognized expert witness in the field of airport security, a media spokesperson and a consulting expert in the area of high-value freight logistics and cargo security.

“If there’s one common thread that remains throughout my career, it’s that I’ve been blessed by having a wonderful staff …any measure of success that I have ever enjoyed is a direct result of working with wonderful people,” he concludes.

A third generation Houstonian, whose father worked for the airport as well, Mark Mancuso will be missed.

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