US Air marshals clock up 753 misconduct reports

AIR MARSHALS have been caught sleeping on the job, have lost their weapons and tested positive for drugs and alcohol, according to a new report.

Over just eight months in 2002, 753 misconduct reports were filed against the men and women who are supposed to protect air travellers from a terrorist attack.

“Many federal air marshals were granted access to classified information after displaying questionable judgment, irresponsibility and emotionally unstable behaviour,” reported US Department of Homeland Security Inspector General, Clark Kent Ervin.

According to the report, 161 applicants to the air marshals programme passed preliminary entry tests despite facing past accusations of domestic violence, drinking and driving or sexual harassment.

One applicant, who was offered a job as an air marshal, had been denied a gun permit by the state of New York for undisclosed reasons. Another air marshal was not eligible to be rehired by the US Customs Service, which said he was “very aggressive, confrontational and has the potential to get in trouble”.

The report added, however, that such applicants were eventually weeded out. It also criticised air marshal chiefs for being too soft on agents involved in misconduct.

And it questioned why air marshals had been given €5.3 million in cash advances for travel when they were paid expenses every fortnight. The Department of Homeland Security agreed to end the practice.

Asa Hutchinson, chief of border and transportation security at the department, said new standards had been introduced to make air marshals more accountable.

He disputed that the 753 complaints were made over eight months, saying the reports were filed over 22 months. Mr Hutchinson said many reports were “much less serious ... like rude behaviour ... during the check-in process”.

But he agreed that two air marshals found to have used marijuana should probably have been fired sooner. The pair were placed on leave in May and June 2003 but were paid until January 2004.