Crikey speculated on a scaling back of the armed air marshals program and questioned whether there were any guns left on Australian flights. We’re now assured there are, but the numbers are unclear. The Australian Federal Police tells our intern Matthew Raggatt the program placing air marshals on flights remains in operation, but they will “realise efficiency savings” of $16.5 million over four years.
An adviser to Home Affairs and Justice Minister Brendan O’Connor also confirmed the marshals, known as Air Security Officers (ASOs), would continue to be placed on domestic and international flights.
But the number of active marshals is not publicly known, with the AFP refusing to provide numbers for security reasons. “Releasing this sort of information would contradict this policy, and could potentially allow people to identify the parameters of the program more broadly,” an AFP spokesperson said.
They say ASOs are deployed on flights based on intelligence and risk: “[It] forms part of a layered approach to aviation security that includes a range of comprehensive security measures such as improved security screening at airports, hardened cockpit doors, a uniformed policing presence at major airports, regional rapid deployment teams and specialist bomb appraisal and canine capabilities.”
The ABC reported earlier this month that Darwin International Airport will lose its air marshals on all flights. Then AFP Commissioner Mick Keelty had confirmed in February 2009 that ASO numbers were cut in the previous year. The Australian reported that month numbers of marshals peaked at 170 in 2006.
Published by Crikey, September 2, 2011
URL to article: http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/09/02/tips-and-rumours-532/
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