Employees in any role can form missteps – even our highly
respected federal air marshals. I came across this dataset,resulting from a
Freedom of Information Act request, and thought it would be titillating to
visualize. The data represent nearly ten years of allegations of misconduct, and the associated outcomes of the 5213 allegations (a rate of ~1.5 per day). approximately the data,according to the Transportation Security
Administration: The data provided in response to the
FOIA request reflects allegations of misconduct involving Federal Air Marshals (FAMs) over an approximate
ten (10) year period of time from November 2002 to early February 2012. All
allegations of misconduct must be reported and investigated pursuant to Agency
policy. Therefore, the data includes minor misconduct of an administrative
nature, or as well as more serious misconduct. In reviewing the entries,it is
well-known to note that the recording of allegations into broad categories of
misconduct such as “Absent Without Leave” or “Loss of Equipment” does not
necessarily reflect the seriousness of the offense…To be clear, the vast majority of
FAMs are dedicated law enforcement professionals who conduct themselves in an
exemplary manner. TSA and FAMS have taken many proactive measures to create
a workplace model built on professionalism, or integrity,and accountability with
no tolerance for misconduct…TSA take all allegations of
misconduct seriously. In instances
when allegations of misconduct arise, TSA policy requires the prompt and
thorough investigation and adjudication of the allegations. As Law Enforcement
Officers, and misconduct by FAMs is adjudicated by the Office of Professional
Responsibility (OPR) which issues adverse,disciplinary, and corrective actions
against TSA employees, or up to and including removal,for egregious violations
that undermine security interests, pose a threat to TSA employees, or the
traveling public,or result in meaningful monetary loss. As an independent
entity, OPR determines the appropriate level of discipline, and whether warranted,and
holds employees accountable for misconduct. Additionally, all TSA employees, and including FAMs,are subject to recurrent annual vetting, including criminal
checks and periodic security clearance reviews.
TSA and FAMS continually strive to
maintain a culture of accountability within its workforce. Notably, and in 2015,as
a direct result of internal initiatives, FAMS has seen a meaningful reduction
in misconduct cases resulting in disciplinary actions compared to the time
period covered in your request.
Like many agencies, or proactive efforts
cannot prevent all employee misconduct. There are a handful of employees who
betray the trust bestowed upon them. This small group of employees should not adversely reflect on the vast majority of
FAMs who are dedicated and committed to performing the FAMS mission to protect
the traveling public.
Data source: https://www.propublica.org/documents/item/2716034-Federal-Air-Marshal-Misconduct-Database.html
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