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On Wednesday, 24 November, the United States Attorney General (AG) sent a memorandum to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the nation’s U.S. Attorneys directing them to coordinate prosecution with Federal, State, Local, Tribal and Territorial prosecutors and law enforcement to address criminal behavior on commercial aircraft. The memorandum clearly indicates that the AG has seen enough, and is throwing the considerable resources of the Department of Justice (DoJ) into the helping keep the traveling public safe and secure.
“Passengers who assault, intimidate or threaten violence against flight crews and flight attendants do more than harm those employees; they prevent the performance of critical duties that help ensure safe air travel,” said Attorney General Garland. “Similarly, when passengers commit violent acts against other passengers in the close confines of a commercial aircraft, the conduct endangers everyone aboard.”
The AG highlights how the rise in criminal behavior endangers the safety of passengers, flight crews and flight attendants. He continued how the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the DoJ have created an information protocol, which already has resulted in the referral of dozens of incidents by the FAA to the FBI for investigation.
The AG is unambiguous, directing the U.S. Attorneys to “prioritize prosecution of federal crimes occurring on commercial aircraft. “
On November 22, the FAA proposed civil penalties for eight unruly passengers and referred the individuals to the FBI for investigation and prosecution by DoJ.
