She's going to be on Hannity on wabcradio.com very shortly.
Posted on 08/09/2004 12:11:25 PM PDT by E Rocc
2 Air Marshals Removed From Cleveland Flight
Air Marshals Worry They're Too Easily Noticed
POSTED: 8:53 am EDT August 9, 2004
CLEVELAND -- Some federal air marshals complain that rigid dress codes and grooming rules have made them easy to spot.
"It's a joke," one air marshal, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Plain Dealer.
For months, marshals have been trying to get the dress code rules relaxed because they say their formal dress makes them stick out, not blend in.
"You can't go out on Southwest Airlines on a weekend in a business suit," said John Amat, a spokesman for the Federal Law Enforcement Officer Association. "It just doesn't cut it."
Amat and air marshals say if the casual traveler can spot an air marshal, so could a potential terrorist. The biggest fear among some air marshals is that terrorists will specifically target them and use their weapons to hijack a plane.
Federal officials vigorously defend the dress code and say the complaining marshals are exaggerating the issue.
"They're going to look like any other passenger, but they need to be dressed professionally. The suggestion that air marshals are easily spotted because of their attire is simply not true," said David Adams, a spokesman for the service.
The issue took on renewed urgency last month, when two marshals were removed from a Southwest Airlines flight leaving Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, after a supervisor saw them improperly dressed. Their sport coats were not visible, the newspaper reported, citing law enforcement sources familiar with the incident.
The marshals were not replaced on the flight, the sources said.
Amat said this matter was the first publicly known incident in which agents were removed from a flight for violating the dress code. The association represents about 1,300 air marshals.
Air marshals told The Plain Dealer they used to be encouraged to grow beards and dress casually to blend in with airport crowds.
The current policy was put in place in 2002 by the Federal Air Marshal Service, a branch of the Department of Homeland Security. It says air marshals should wear "conservative" business attire such as sport coats and slacks. Grooming rules dictate the length of sideburns and the trim of an agent's hair and mustache.
Amat said boarding procedures that require marshals to check in with ticket agents also make them easy to spot.
"The bottom line is no one should know who these guys are," Amat said.
Are you kidding? He's the only thing standing between us and the horrors of Racial Profiling!
Typical bureaucrat BS.
This is what happens when you put small minded people in positions of power.
This has nothing to do with protection or professionalism and everything to do with CONTROL!!!
This is just insane!
I think you may be on to something & I have felt the same way since this issue became news a few days ago.
Even I have a hard time believing that our massive, bloated bureaucracy could be this stupid.
You are probably right, this happens in many federal agencies. Sometimes it pays to know how to play golf with the person in charge. I know how those Air Marshals feel, and in order to catch to dirt you must blend with the dirt. Bush/cheney 2004
Just more of the Mineta Democrats typical "black is white," Kerry is a war hero" nonsense, with zero grasp of facts and reality.
I wanna read Michele Malkin's new book: The Case for Internment.
Incredible stupidity, indeed. Dangerous for us all.
"The bottom line is no one should know who these guys are," Amat said.
But I suppose 'profiling' is absolutely verboten. Mustn't single out the actual bad guys. Just another colossal instance of tossing out the baby and preserving his bathwater.
You trying to blow my cover?
She's going to be on Hannity on wabcradio.com very shortly.
I know an air marshal. He was a police detective prior to becoming an air marshal, and all the other cops used to make fun of him for the way he dressed. When working he was a Don Johnson/Miami Vice look-a-like with the tank-top T shirt and baggy pants, and he used to wear his badge like a necklace. Once he showed up to court wearing spandex biking shorts and a tank-top T-shirt.
While I'm sure dressing in a suit is a bad idea for these guys and I understand why they have to fit in, this story amuses me. I've got to believe the one of the guys who was dressed inappropriately is the guy I know.
www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/contactus
It's easy, quick, and it allows HTML formatting. Which means you can bold your rant!
Never underestimate the stupidity of a bureacracy. My hunch is that this story is real.
Good lord! Now I must resort to cleansing that image from my brain...
one can only hope.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.