For 60 days, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is offering a reward of $10,000 for information about anyone pointing a laser at an aircraft. Between February 11 and April 11 2014, persons reporting lasers being pointed at aircraft should call their local FBI field office or the 911 emergency number.This comes as part of a publicity campaign by the FBI to inform the public and especially teenagers about the dangers of lasing aircraft. The agency said teens are the primary age group responsible for laser/aircraft illuminations.[Note: There appear to be no official records of perpetrators’ ages. However, here are lists of incidents recorded in LaserPointerSafety.com news items, based on the age of the perpetrator: 10-19 60-69 . Counting the stories in each group may give a rough indication of the age distribution of laser perpetrators.]The two-month campaign will focus on 12 cities with large number of incidents. FBI field offices participating in the regional reward program are Albuquerque, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Juan, and the Washington Field Office.During the campaign, the FBI and the Air Line Pilots Association International will work with Clear Channel Outdoor to hang billboards and issue public service announcements in these cities, warning people that a laser prank can lead to prison.

Here is a PSA image intended for urban audiences:







The FBI also issued versions with a different background for suburban, and for rural audiences.



This is a 4:17 YouTube video issued by the FBI that describes lasings, why they are dangerous, and how they are illegal:







Here is the text of an audio Public Service Announcement intended for use on radio and podcasting : “Here’s a pointer. You can use a laser to make your cat chase its tail, but aim it at an aircraft and you could be needing bail. Don’t let a prank lead to prison. Aiming a laser at an aircraft is a federal crime. It could land you five years behind bars and/or an $11,000 fine. Report illegal laser use to the FBI and you may be eligible for a reward. For more information, visit www.fbi.gov.”



An FBI supervisory federal air marshal, George Johnson, said “It’s a very concerning issue for the FBI and we take it very serious.” He noted that if a person aimed a laser at different aircraft, the person could be assessed a federal civil penalty of $11,000 for each aircraft. (This is in addition to a possible federal criminal penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.)



Johnson said the publicity campaign’s goal was to reduce incidents and encourage reports of lasers being aimed at aircraft: “This is a problem we are addressing to safeguard the welfare of our pilots and the passengers they fly.”



From ABC News, the Los Angeles Times, and the Daytona Beach News Journal, and many other news sources on Feb. 11 and 12, 2014. An FBI news story “Protecting Aircraft from Lasers” gives details and has a video discussing the dangers of aiming lasers at aircraft. The text of the news story is below in teal type. A FBI national press release (lower below, in blue type) talks about the reward program and why it was instituted. The FBI also issued a local press release for Houston which discusses the number of incidents in the area.



In addition, on Feb. 11 the FAA released statistics on the 3,960 laser incidents that occurred in 2013, including the most-lased U.S. locations.





FBI News Story





Protecting Aircraft from Lasers



New Program Offers Rewards for Information





02/11/14



Today the FBI announced a program aimed at deterring people from pointing lasers at aircraft—a felony punishable by five years in jail—and rewarding those who come forward with information about individuals who engage in this dangerous activity.



“Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft is a serious matter and a violation of federal law,” said Ron Hosko, assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “It is important that people understand that this is a criminal act with potentially deadly repercussions.”



The new initiative—which includes a campaign to educate the public about the dangers of “lasing”—will run for 60 days in 12 FBI field offices where laser strikes against aircraft are prevalent. A key part of the program is reward money: The Bureau will offer up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of any individual who intentionally aims a laser at an aircraft.



“Laser pointers are legal and certainly have legitimate uses,” said George Johnson, a federal air marshal who serves as a liaison officer with the Bureau on laser issues. “Used in the wrong environment, however, they can be very dangerous.”



When aimed at an aircraft from the ground, the powerful beam of light from a handheld laser can travel more than a mile and illuminate a cockpit, disorienting and temporarily blinding pilots. Those who have been subject to such attacks have described them as the equivalent of a camera flash going off in a pitch black car at night.



Since the FBI and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began tracking laser strikes in 2005, there has been a more than 1,000 percent increase in the number of incidents with these devices, which can be purchased in stores or online for as little as a few dollars. Last year, 3,960 laser strikes against aircraft were reported—an average of almost 11 incidents per day. And it’s estimated that thousands of attacks go unreported every year.



“We hope that more public awareness about this issue will lower the instances of laser strikes,” Johnson said. “We also want to encourage people to come forward when they see someone committing this felony—one that could have terrible consequences for pilots and their passengers.” As of December 2013, the FAA has documented at least 35 incidents where pilots required medical attention after a laser strike.



Interfering with the operation of an aircraft has long been a federal crime, but the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 specifically made it a federal felony to knowingly point the beam of a laser at an aircraft. The new law lowered the threshold for prosecution, Johnson said, “and the trend is on the rise for jail time in these cases.” Last month, for example, a 23-year-old California man was sentenced to 21 months in prison for aiming a laser pointer at a Fresno County Sheriff’s Office helicopter. Court records showed that the man deliberately tracked and struck the aircraft.



The 12 FBI offices participating in the new program are Albuquerque, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Juan, and the Washington Field Office.



If you have information about a lasing incident or see someone pointing a laser at an aircraft, call your local FBI office or dial 911.



FBI National Press Release

FBI Pilots New Reward Program Aimed at Deterring Laser Strikes





Washington, D.C.

February 11, 2014

FBI National Press Office

(202) 324-3691



The FBI today announced a new regional reward program to deter people from pointing lasers at aircraft.



Reported incidents of the federal violation are on the rise. Since the FBI and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began tracking laser strikes in 2005, statistics reflect a more than 1,100 percent increase in the deliberate targeting of aircraft by people with handheld lasers.



In an effort to raise public awareness about the issue, the FBI has launched a targeted regional reward program, which will run for 60 days in 12 FBI field offices. As part of the pilot program, the FBI will offer a reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to the arrest of any individual who aims a laser at an aircraft.



The FBI will also be working with state and local law enforcement to educate teens about the dangers associated with lasing.



“Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft is a serious matter and a violation of federal law,” said Ron Hosko, assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “It is important that people understand that this is a criminal act with potentially deadly repercussions.”



In 2013, there were a total of 3,960 laser strikes reported—an average of almost 11 incidents per day. Industry experts say laser attacks present potential dangers for pilots.



“Shining a laser into the cockpit of an aircraft can temporarily blind a pilot, jeopardizing the safety of everyone on board,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. “We applaud our colleagues at the Justice Department for aggressively prosecuting aircraft laser incidents, and we will continue to use civil penalties to further deter this dangerous activity.”



“The risk associated with illegal and inappropriate laser illuminations is unacceptable. Pointing lasers at aircraft in flight poses a serious safety risk to the traveling public,” said Air Line Pilots Association International President Captain Lee Moak. “Since ALPA successfully urged lawmakers to make laser illuminations on aircraft a specific federal crime, laser targeting of aircraft is now a violation of both federal and civil laws with real penalties, and we will advocate for our FBI and FAA partners to vigorously pursue anyone who misuses these devices.”



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.



FBI field offices participating in the regional reward program are Albuquerque, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Juan, and the Washington Field Office.



