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US: FBI expands laser education & reward campaign nationwide for 3 months

The FBI is expanding nationwide its program to publicize the hazards of aiming laser pointers at aircraft, and to offer up to $10,000 as a reward for information leading to the arrest of laser perpetrators.

The original FBI education and reward program ran from February 11 to April 11 2014 in 12 U.S. cities that had high rates of laser/aircraft incidents. The FBI said the program led to a 19 percent decrease in lasing reports.

The new, nationwide program was announced June 3 2014. The $10,000 reward offer is scheduled to last for 90 days; until September 1.

The FBI said they are working on the educational campaign with the Federal Aviation Administration, the Air Line Pilots Association, International, and state, local and international law enforcement. They are outreaching to schools, teaching teens to not aim at aircraft.
In the Midwest, public service announcements will be shown during trailers at Wehrenberg Theatres, which has 15 locations with a total of 210 screens in Missouri, Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota. The chain is working with the National Association of Theatre Owners to possibly expand the announcements to other markets.

The FBI put out a press release and a story on June 3 2014. The press release is reprinted below; the story is available
online. Information on Wehrenberg Theatres from The Republic and Wikipedia.



U.S. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Washington, D.C. 20535-0001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 3, 2014

NATIONAL PRESS OFFICE
(202) 324-3691
www.fbi.gov

FBI Launches National Campaign to Address Laser Threat to Aircraft
Campaign includes up to $10,000 reward

The FBI today announced a national campaign to deter people from pointing lasers at aircraft, a federal violation which presents danger to pilots, passengers and those on the ground. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to the arrest of any individual who aims a laser at aircraft. The reward is available for 90 days in all 56 FBI field offices.

Since the FBI and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began tracking laser strikes in 2005, data shows a more than 1,100 percent increase in the deliberate targeting of aircraft by people with handheld lasers.

The dramatic increase in reported laser attacks in recent years prompted the FBI to create a pilot program aimed at raising awareness and offering a monetary reward in 12 field offices. Since the launch of the pilot program on February 11, 2014, the major metropolitan areas of those 12 field offices have seen a 19-percent decrease in the number of reported incidents.

“Although our previous efforts to raise public awareness have shown early signs of success in reducing the number of laser attacks in those 12 cities, the laser threat remains a problem on a much larger scale,” said Joseph Campbell, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “We hope to build on our success through this national campaign in an effort to reduce the overall threat.”

The FBI is partnering with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Air Line Pilots Association International, law enforcement at all levels nationally and internationally, school resource officers and other stakeholders in its efforts to continue to educate the public about the dangers associated with laser strikes to aircraft. Campaign outreach efforts include digital billboards, radio public service announcements, video, social media, a presence on www.fbi.gov and partner websites and more.

“I can’t stress enough how dangerous and irresponsible it is to point a laser at an aircraft,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. “We know that targeted enforcement has succeeded in driving down laser incidents in a number of cities, and we’ll continue to partner with law enforcement to address this problem nationwide.”

“Intentionally aiming a laser at an aircraft poses a serious threat to those in the air and on the ground – and it’s a serious crime with serious consequences”, said Air Line Pilots Association, International President, Capt. Lee Moak. “The Laser Threat Awareness Campaign has resulted in an overall reduction of incidents, and we look forward to continuing to work with the FBI on these efforts”.

Thousands of laser attacks go unreported every year. If you have information about a lasing incident, or see someone pointing a laser at an aircraft, call your local FBI field office or dial 911.

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