NYS Senator Eric Adams Reacts to the Terror Attack over the Skies of Michigan by proposing that the FAA and airlines supplement the Air Marshall program with the presence of law enforcement on international flights (click below for more)

PRESS ADVISORY

SENATOR ERIC ADAMS, CHAIR OF THE NYS SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS, REACTS TO DETROIT JET AIRLINER TERRORIST ATTACK BY NIGERIAN MUSLIM HAVING SUSPECTED AL QAEDA TIES WITH A PROPOSAL TO REQUIRE LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL ON EVERY INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT ENTERING OR LEAVING THE U.S.
 
NYS Senator Eric Adams, retired NYPD Captain and Chair of Homeland Security Committee, reacts to terrorist attack in the skies over Detroit by Nigerian Muslim with suspected Al Qaeda ties by proposing that FAA and airlines maintain pre-screened list of active-duty and retired law enforcement officers and devise plan to require presence of at least one on all international flights entering or leaving the U.S.  The list will supplement the FAA’s Federal Air Marshal program.

NYS Senator Adams states:  “The security of our citizens must be our paramount concern.  In the wake of a foiled terrorist attack on a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit originating in Nigeria, the airlines and the FAA should compile a pre-screened list and require that at least one active-duty or retired member of the national law enforcement community be aboard every international flight entering or leaving our country.  This will increase safety aboard jet airliners and add another crucial layer of security to those already in place since 9/11.  We must take all actions necessary to protect the public, and these flights should carry law enforcement officers, who are trained and able to subdue individuals threatening the well-being of the passengers or crew or the integrity of the aircraft itself.  This list will supplement the existing Air Marshall program, and costs may be offset by providing free air travel to the law enforcement personnel involved. 

“In 2008, en route to China aboard an Air China flight, I used my training and experience as a NYC Police Officer to subdue an intoxicated man who was attempting to molest female passengers while the cabin was dimly lit for sleep.  After I wrestled him to the floor, the airline staff was perplexed about what to do next.  They eventually placed the disruptive passenger in first class for the duration of the flight.  Airline personnel, with the guidance of law enforcement in the cabin, should have clear protocols for dealing with all types of incidents.

“Airline personnel must be prepared for all contingencies, and the failed attack over Detroit by a would-be mass murderer should serve as a reminder that we must maintain vigilance and continuously improve security measures to keep our skies and nation safe.” 

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