The Federal Air Marshal Association Calls for Immediate Investigation
The Executive Director of the Federal Air Marshal Association, Bob Flamm, calls for the immediate investigation and dismissal of the Federal Air Marshal Service director, Thomas Quinn. The call for the Director’s removal comes after the unacceptable suspension on October 14, 2004 of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association's (FLEOA) Federal Air Marshal Agency President, Frank Terreri.
(PRWEB) October 27, 2004 -- The Executive Director of the Federal Air Marshal
Association, Bob Flamm, calls for the immediate dismissal of the Federal Air
Marshal Service director, Thomas Quinn. The call for the Director’s removal
comes after the unacceptable suspension on October 14, 2004 of the Federal Law
Enforcement Officers Association's (FLEOA) Federal Air Marshal Agency President,
Frank Terreri.
“This matter really needs to be looked into by the House
Judiciary Committee and investigated thoroughly. All parties to this obvious act
of retaliation should be brought to justice”, said Flamm. “This would only make
sense since the House Judiciary Committee is already conducting an extensive
oversight investigation into Director Quinn”
“For the agency to deny Mr.
Terreri's suspension was not based upon retribution is beyond belief!” Flamm
said. FAMS management has indicated that an e-mail sent by Mr. Terreri, in his
capacity as FLEOA FAMS President in response to being apprised of an article
characterizing a day in the life of "FAM Becky" in People magazine, created an
environment that was hostile to FAM Becky as she has "received harassing phone
call and e-mails..."
What is notable about this assertion is the fact
that Mr. Terreri, in the e-mail, does not call for any adverse action against
FAM Becky or indicate that he will take any action himself other than "...be on
the lookout for her in one of our friendly airports, probably as she is entering
the restroom to ensure her...weapon is concealed." Flamm added.
FAM
Becky, apparently with the full approval of FAMS management, provides a number
of extremely sensitive details regarding frontline tactics and procedures.
According to Board members of FAMA, "This sensitive information is
interspersed among a number of professionally questionable quotes, also
attributed to FAM Becky, including calling herself "Psychotically patriotic" and
"shouting out commands..." to herself while driving to work while acknowledging
that other commuters "...must think I'm crazy."
The fact that the People
article provides enough detail for anyone within the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) to know exactly where FAM Becky is assigned, and Mr. Terreri's
e-mail provides absolutely no such information, should immediately impart to
everyone that FAM Becky's current "hostile work environment" was predicated not
by Mr. Terreri but rather by the FAMS' endorsement of the People magazine
article.
To date, the retaliatory environment that rewards blind
obedience, sycophancy, cronyism, nepotism, and rampant mismanagement has not
been seriously or effectively addressed by FAMS, ICE, or DHS. The irony that
FAMS management suspended Mr. Terreri for creating a hostile work environment
when in fact FAMS management under Mr. Quinn's controversial leadership has in
fact perpetrated a hostile work environment since the inception of
FAMS
The reality is the majority of these managers have no experience in
post 9/11 air marshaling, nor are they qualified as air marshals, which further
obstructs any meaningful communication regarding safety and security issues of
the working environment. In fact many first line supervisors and middle managers
privately agree, and are also frustrated, that the current situation is
untenable and counterproductive to mission effectiveness. “The managers claim
that they will not "officially" speak out, as they are well aware of the
retaliatory environment in which they are forced to work”, said
Flamm.
The public and congress should know, in order to put the action
against Mr. Terreri in proper perspective, that the Federal Air Marshal
Association (FAMA) and FLEOA together share the professional perspective of
thousands of working federal agents, including more than 1,400 frontline air
marshals, whose primary goal is the protection of our country and
citizens.
As such, FAMA calls for the immediate dismissal of Mr. Quinn
and any other official involved with Mr. Terreri's suspension for cause and
joins with FLEOA and other representative groups of law enforcement officials in
supporting the FLEOA FAM Agency President, Frank Terreri, in his fight against
injustice and incompetence in the Department of Homeland Security -- a fight
waged on behalf of every American.
“We must have the Title 5
protections, which safeguard employees of other agencies, reinstated for the
employees of Homeland Security. This is just one example of why these guarantees
are needed” Flamm said “Title 5 protections were stripped from these employees
even after assurances by the administration that employees would be protected
from retaliation if voicing serious security concerns. This mechanism is clearly
broken and the only viable option to keep our nation secure is to grant the
reinstatement of Title 5”, Flamm said.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/10/prweb172362.htm