ANYONE thinking of career change to Sky Marshall??

[LAWCOP]

some interesting career posibilities IF you can stand the thought of working for Club Fed.

I spent years working in joint task forces with ATF, DEA, FBI, DOJ, Marshalls service, and they have some very UNIQUE ways of looking at the world.

Get in on the ground floor and move quickly. Gotta rember most of the people administering the program won't know dick about real world police activity and mindset. The things that street cops think about to keep alive to the end of the shift.
I found the Feds would just be amazed at the the investigative/survival things street cops did on a daily basis, they would look at the street cops as if they were wizards. Some things they just don't get at Glenco or Quantico.

[Delta_V]

Originally posted by LAWCOP:
Gotta rember most of the people administering the program won't know dick about real world police activity and mindset.

Just what is 'real world police activity?' Traffic stops? Patrol procedures and tactics? If so, then that really doesn't have anything to do with being a Federal Air Marshal. These people have a very specific job and street skills won't mean too much at 30,000 feet. Since their training and operations are pretty much shrouded in secrecy, it would be difficult to rate their training program. That being said, I'm sure that when a new Air Marshal graduates from training, he is better prepared to do that job than a street cop without that specialized training would be. I recall someone posting earlier that Air Marshal firearms training is more demanding and thorough than that of most SWAT officers, which is something I can believe.

You say that they might not know much about 'real world police activity,' but with the specialized job that they have to do, they really don't need to. For the most part, that goes for the other feds too. No, they don't spend countless hours on patrol procedures while in the academy, and that is because most federal agents don't have a need to. Just like the local cop in the academy doesn't need the in-depth study of federal criminal law and white collar crime. Different training for different jobs.

[LAWCOP]

"Just what is 'real world police activity?' Traffic stops? Patrol procedures and tactics? If so, then that really doesn't have anything to do with being a Federal Air Marshal. These people have a very specific job and street skills won't mean too much at 30,000 feet." ... "That being said, I'm sure that when a new Air Marshal graduates from training, he is better prepared to do that job than a street cop without that specialized training would be. "

IF you are saying that the instincts street cops develop on those patrol procedures and doing those mundane "traffic stops" would have no bearing on how they would respond to situations up in the air and that such experience would be of no benefit, then you don't understand the question.

Once those Feds leave the class room they have to go out into the real world and occassionaly deal with real world bad guys. The best example of their "training" would be a little situation the FBI found itself in in Miami with 2 gentlemen by the name Platt and Maddix. The FBI outnumbered the bad guys 7-2. when the fight ended, 2 dead bad guys, 5 shot up FBI agents and 2 of them were dead.

ALL I was making a statement about was that the Feds have a whole different mind set that sometimes doesn't really reflect what happens out in the real world, and the real world is where the combat takes place and not the classroom.

[PeteBroccolo]

All I know is that I am still waiting for calls for us to provide the security on Canadian flights. Ah, double-time OT on my days off!

[Dave T]

I really doubt that those Officers that are accustomed to the excitement of "street level" police work would be satisfied with the rather mundane duties that this position represents. The overwhelming majority of ones time will be spent simply sitting in a narrow seat eating crappy peanuts with someones kid kicking the back or a crying baby spitting up on your shoulder.

It is also doubtful that any married Officers would appreciate being away from home for extended periods (weeks) with little or no contact with home (although some of us would really like it - ).

You talk about "street smarts" - this can work against you sometimes. For example, go into a store and scan (like we always do) and you will immediately know if there are any other Police (these will be the ones that meet your eyes and lock) or thugs (these will meet your eyes and look away). Being undetected is an important part of the Air Marshall job - no uniform is worn. The nature working in concert with our fellow officers in Uniform Patrol can make us predictable.

I think that when the FAA performes the investigations necessary to issue a TS clearance many of the current Officers will be precluded from consideration. This is not because they have committed any crime but unfortunately Police Officers are traditionally poor money managers. Any history of credit problems or any past bounced checks will eliminate the possiblity of being issued a TS. I remember when I first applied for my TS for the DOD .. They visit every place you ever lived since birth - speak to every teacher and professor they can find - and talk to your friends, and their friends, and their friends. I must have recieved two dozen telephone calls from people I know wanting to know why the FBI was asking about me. Is is very intrusive - but well worth the effort if you have nothing to hide. Oh.. and don't lie - they will find out.

This is not to say that it is not a great opportunity for some - particularly young, single Officers. It will provide them a chance to see parts of the world that they would otherwise miss. To them I say - Good Luck.

To my family in Blue - Stay Safe and God Bless

Dave

[Sparky]

I just can't see myself in that job. I hate flying. Not from any real fear of a crash or anything. I just hate the hassle of getting to the airport, boarding, sitting in a tiny seat, with the constant hum and bad air, bad food, then you land and make your way to get your luggage and then fight your way out of the airport.

It's just a HUGE hassle.

Add in the time away from your family, YECH!

I could see it if they had something like a two week on, two week off kind of schedule.

Something that would give you a break from the stressfull drudgery and allow you time with your family. With a really decent pay scale, the added time with family would be a pretty atractive benefit and I would seriously consider it.

But from what I understand, you work ALOT, and your working conditions are (at best) putting up with the whole airline travel hassle.

[SpecOpsWarrior]

I would accept it if I could have a good route, something like L.A. to Kandahar or L.A. to Jerusalem. A route where I might see some action, otherwise it would become boring.

Going over manifests, sizing up potential threats, plannign evac routes, and all the other security concerns would become routine.

I guess the hassles of airport travel would be greatly eliminated for the most part, your going to bypass the lines and usual check-in problems, so that wouldnt really bother me. One aspect of it that would bother me would be flying coach constantly, I'm assuming Air Marshalls probably ride near the back of the aircraft, so we all know how that is.

Now there are probably some great perks with it to, lay overs in exotic locations, stewardesses, the money, stewardesses, top notch training and probably free airfare for off-duty travel.

But alas it shall never happen for this guy, I got a ball and chain who would really get chapped if I took a job like that. The time away from home is the real killer for me.

[Stone]

Originally posted by SpecOpsWarrior:
...
Going over manifests, sizing up potential threats, plannign evac routes, and all the other security concerns would become routine. ...

Evac routes at 30,000 feet?

You have a plan to teach everyone to fly that is on the plane?

[Kaos]

They really don't need sky marshalls, all they need is a explosive device on board. If the plane veers off course without permission BOOM!. It may cut down on air travel a little though .

[SpecOpsWarrior]

Originally posted by Stone:
Evac routes at 30,000 feet?
You have a plan to teach everyone to fly that is on the plane?

Well I was actually thinking about emergencies that occur while on the ground.