Employees in any role can make missteps – even our highly respected federal air marshals. I came across this dataset, resulting from a Freedom of Information Act request, and thought it would be interesting to visualize. The data represent almost ten years of allegations of misconduct, and the associated outcomes of the 5,213 allegations (a rate of ~1.5 per day).

About the data, according to the Transportation Security Administration:

The data provided in response to the FOIA request reflects allegations of misconduct involving Federal Air Marshals (FAMs) over an approximate ten (10) year period of time from November 2002 to early February 2012. All allegations of misconduct must be reported and investigated pursuant to Agency policy. Therefore, the data includes minor misconduct of an administrative nature, as well as more serious misconduct. In reviewing the entries, it is important to note that the recording of allegations into broad categories of misconduct such as “Absent Without Leave” or “Loss of Equipment” does not necessarily reflect the seriousness of the offense…

To be clear, the vast majority of FAMs are dedicated law enforcement professionals who conduct themselves in an exemplary manner. TSA and FAMS have taken numerous proactive measures to create a workplace model built on professionalism, integrity, and accountability with no tolerance for misconduct…

TSA take all allegations of misconduct seriously. In instances when allegations of misconduct arise, TSA policy requires the prompt and thorough investigation and adjudication of the allegations. As Law Enforcement Officers, misconduct by FAMs is adjudicated by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) which issues adverse, disciplinary, and corrective actions against TSA employees, up to and including removal, for egregious violations that undermine security interests, pose a threat to TSA employees, the traveling public, or result in significant monetary loss. As an independent entity, OPR determines the appropriate level of discipline, if warranted, and holds employees accountable for misconduct. Additionally, all TSA employees, including FAMs, are subject to recurrent annual vetting, including criminal checks and periodic security clearance reviews.

TSA and FAMS continually strive to maintain a culture of accountability within its workforce. Notably, in 2015, as a direct result of internal initiatives, FAMS has seen a significant reduction in misconduct cases resulting in disciplinary actions compared to the time period covered in your request.

Like many agencies, proactive efforts cannot prevent all employee misconduct. There are a handful of employees who betray the trust bestowed upon them. This small group of employees should not adversely reflect on the vast majority of FAMs who are dedicated and committed to performing the FAMS mission to protect the traveling public.