Fewer Air Marshals Protecting Flights
COSTELLO: The Department of Homeland Security has cut the number of federal air marshals. Those are the undercover officers who protect planes terrorists and other potential violence on board planes. The cut is described in an internal government e-mail obtained by CNN. Aviation and government regulation correspondent, Rene Marsh, has more now. Why reduce the federal air marshals' ranks?</s>RENE MARSH, CNN AVIATION AND GOVERNMENT REGULATION CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, you know, when you talk to critics, they say it is a dangerous move and it really leaves airplane security vulnerable. Over the past three years, we have found out the number of plainclothes officers on board flights has been cut. Air marshals, as you know, they're supposed to protect aircraft from terrorists. But according to that e-mail obtained by CNN, a budget crunch has caused the federal air marshal work force to down size. Now we don't know how many are on the government payroll. And we don't know how many positions have been eliminated. The government says those numbers are secret for security reasons. Now the vice president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, which represents air marshals had this to say. He says, "Are the recent reports of ramped-up attempts by al Qaeda regarding shoe bombs and liquid explosives somehow being swept under the rug or ignored by TSA management? Can they honestly feel or convey that the threat to aviation security is somehow lower at this point in time?" Now we should point out workforce cuts have happened over the past three years. We do not know whether staff cuts happened after the toothpaste and shoe bomb threats, because the government, again, says those numbers are secret. One last thing -- we know that six of the agency's 26 field offices will be shut down. THS says those officers will be relocated -- Carol.</s>COSTELLO: Rene Marsh, reporting live. Thanks so much. Still to come in the NEWSROOM, first rule in customer service, know your policy. Delta learning that lesson the hard way and facing the wrath of some very angry mothers on Twitter. That story is next.