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Air Marshal Boss Orders Sweeping Review
The new director of the Federal Air Marshal Service, Dana Brown, has ordered a sweeping review of the agency's operational, safety and management issues.
The service revealed the review one month after an ABC News investigation revealed serious problems that air marshals said had compromised security and safety for marshals and the flying public.
A spokesman, Conan Bruce, said Brown is "aware of the issues" raised in the ABC News report which featured an active duty marshal, Spencer Pickard. Pickard went public to complain about travel and boarding procedures that he said compromised the anonymity of the flying air marshals.
Pickard was "grounded" shortly after the broadcast.
The spokesman said the review was already underway before the ABC News broadcast but that the issues raised by Pickard, and in a critical Congressional report, "will be given due diligence" by 14 working groups composed of working air marshals, supervisors and civilian employees.
Among the issues raised by Pickard were requirements that air marshals identify themselves in front of passengers at security checkpoints and boarding gates.
The spokesman said the first change was put in place earlier this week involving a schedule change to give air marshals more rest time between grueling flight days.
Another change involved the appointment of the new spokesman, Conan Bruce. A previous spokesman said he had been ordered not to comment to ABC News by supervisors at the Department of Homeland Security.
The new director of the Federal Air Marshal Service, Dana Brown, has ordered a sweeping review of the agency's operational, safety and management issues.
The service revealed the review one month after an ABC News investigation revealed serious problems that air marshals said had compromised security and safety for marshals and the flying public.
A spokesman, Conan Bruce, said Brown is "aware of the issues" raised in the ABC News report which featured an active duty marshal, Spencer Pickard. Pickard went public to complain about travel and boarding procedures that he said compromised the anonymity of the flying air marshals.
Pickard was "grounded" shortly after the broadcast.
The spokesman said the review was already underway before the ABC News broadcast but that the issues raised by Pickard, and in a critical Congressional report, "will be given due diligence" by 14 working groups composed of working air marshals, supervisors and civilian employees.
Among the issues raised by Pickard were requirements that air marshals identify themselves in front of passengers at security checkpoints and boarding gates.
The spokesman said the first change was put in place earlier this week involving a schedule change to give air marshals more rest time between grueling flight days.
Another change involved the appointment of the new spokesman, Conan Bruce. A previous spokesman said he had been ordered not to comment to ABC News by supervisors at the Department of Homeland Security.
