| Federal Bureau of Investigation | J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building, 935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20535 |
| www.fbi.gov | (202) 324-3000 |
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Background check
While the shadows of J. Edgar Hoover's alleged abuses of power and the history of the Red Scare may cast a negative light on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the agency has taken great pains to return to its mission. The bureau investigates federal criminal violations that fall in to the following categories: civil rights; counterterrorism; foreign counterintelligence; organized crime/drugs; violent crimes and major offenders; and financial crime. The agency often works in cooperation with other federal law enforcement agencies through formal task forces and for specific investigations.
History
Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte founded the agency, then known as the Bureau of Investigation, in 1908, to be the investigative arm of the Department of Justice. Early on, the agency investigated violations of federal law, including bankruptcy fraud and antitrust crime. During World War I, the Bureau was handed responsibility for the investigation of espionage, sabotage, sedition, and draft violations. J. Edgar Hoover was named director of the Bureau in 1924. Soon after, he initiated a reorganization of the agency and established a formal training course for agents. During Prohibition, the agency conducted investigations of many of the gangsters of the period, and worked to fight a revival of the KKK.
In the 1930s, a series of federal laws were passed giving the Bureau a much more extensive set of responsibilities. After the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby, the federal kidnapping statute was passed. In the wake of the 1933 Kansas City Massacre, FBI Agents were given the right to carry firearms. During the 1940s, the Bureau worked along with the Navy and the War Department to investigate all issues related to espionage, sabotage, and counterespionage. A 1940 presidential directive created the Special Investigative Services (SIS, which evolved into the Legal Attache Program), to investigate Axis activities in South America and to destroy its intelligence and propaganda networks.
In the 1950s, the FBI cited the Communist Party as "the foremost domestic threat to our democracy." The bureau directed its efforts toward uncovering communist front organizations and arresting alleged spies and violators of the Smith Act. In the following decade, the passing of the Civil Rights Acts and numerous other pieces of legislation expanded the jurisdiction of the FBI considerably. Financial crime, espionage, drugs, and violent crime were major concerns during the 1970s and 1980s.
The 1990s have been marked largely by terrorism - from international threats to domestic turbulence. After the FBI was called upon to investigate the World Trade Center and Oklahoma City bombings, the President issued directives clearly outlining the FBI's increased leadership role in fighting terrorism. The agency's responsibilities were further increased in response to incidents of health care fraud, abortion clinic violence, and economic espionage.
The FBI headquarters in Washington, DC is comprised of nine divisions and four offices. The agency also runs 56 field offices, 400 satellite offices (or resident agencies), and 23 foreign liaison posts (Legal Attaches). Louis J. Freeh, Director of the Agency, was appointed in 1993. In 1998, the FBI employed 11,452 Special Agents and support personnel numbering 16,498. In November 1998, the agency opened the doors to its new $20 million high-tech operations center, located inside the Washington, DC headquarters. The new facility, which houses the Bureau's fast-growing Counterterrorism Center and other units, will enable the agency to handle as many as five emergencies at once.
The real FBI
Despite what you may have seen in the movies or on The X-Files, employees of the FBI don't exactly spend their days out in the field chasing down mysterious, invincible criminals or creating psychological profiles of highly intellectual cannibals. Rather, FBI Special Agents work diligently with the latest information-gathering services to research every possible angle of an investigation.
The FBI runs one of the most comprehensive crime labs in the world. Among its forensic specialties are chemistry, DNA, latent fingerprints, photography, document examinations, and firearms. The agency is often called upon to conduct examinations for other U.S. law enforcement agencies, as well as for foreign agencies in unique situations.
The FBI is very restrictive in its hiring, and all special agents are trained for 15 weeks at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. After initial training, Special Agents receive on-the-job training for a two-year probation period. Through a multinational pact, the FBI and several other U.S. government agencies contribute to the International Law Enforcement Academy in Budapest, Hungary. Instructors from the FBI and other nations give extensive police training to "our police colleagues in the emerging democracies." The FBI also conducts extensive police training in other foreign countries, which affords it the opportunity to investigate international crime aimed at American citizens and interests.
Because of the globalization of crime and of an increased threat of terrorism, the domestic crime-fighting FBI has expanded its international presence. In March 2000, the agency opened its first office outside of the U.S., in Hungary. Additionally, a newly developed FBI electronic-surveillance system has met with much controversy.
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"The Bureau has always enjoyed being in a position of having far more applicants than positions," admits a source, "but if you are lucky enough to get in, you will certainly be rewarded." You can contact the nearest FBI field office (they are located in most major cities) for information. One contact tells Vault.com that "most Agents would be more than willing to talk with you about career opportunities and benefits." "Most of these offices will have a Personnel Recruitment Agent who is responsible for the initial applications and interviews." You may also consult the Bureau's recruitment web site, located at www.fbi.gov/employment/employ.htm, for job listings and other employment information. Current openings are also updated weekly on the FBI job hotline.
The FBI hires into two main divisions: Special Agents and Professional Support Personnel. A candidate for a Special Agent position must be a U.S. citizen between the ages of 23 and 37 with a bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college, university, or resident program, and three years of full-time work experience - though the FBI will waive the experience requirement for certain qualified candidates. A Professional Support Personnel candidate must be a U.S. citizen and a high school graduate or equivalent; work experience may also be required for certain positions. The FBI also hires candidates for administrative, technical, and clerical positions. All candidates undergo an extensive battery of security and background checks.
Aspiring Special Agents can apply to enter the FBI via four programs: Law, Accounting, Language, and Diversified. To qualify for the Law Program, candidates must have a JD degree from a resident law school. For Accounting, applicants must have a BS degree in Accounting or a related area, and pass either the CPA exam or the FBI's accounting test. To qualify for the Language Orogram, candidates need a BS or BA in any discipline, and must pass a proficiency test in a language that meets the needs of the agency. Candidates interested in entry through the Diversified Program should have a BA or BS in any discipline, plus three years of full-time work experience, or an advanced degree and two years of experience.
Sources say the interview process "is the same from division to division." A contact reveals that interviews are "not technical in terms of knowledge about law or law enforcement," as "all agents are trained at the FBI Academy." Expect questions to cover "your education, your background, why you want to join the Bureau, and any brushes with law enforcement (speeding tickets, etc...)." Candidates fill out "a very detailed application form," and are subjected to a "very in-depth background check" that usually takes between one and four months. One source notes that interviews "are stressful for most people simply because they are talking to the FBI." "The bureau has exceptionally high standards," an insider notes, "but if you you have a strong motivation to be a part of the premier law enforcement agency in the world, and you meet the academic standards, I would suggest you go for it."
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Special Agents
"If you're interested in law enforcement as a career," beams one contact, "the FBI is a most efficient and professional agency." Notes one source: "All employees, whether Special Agent or support personnel, must pass a thorough background investigation, so you can be assured that your co-workers are of excellent character and reputation." They are "serious, dedicated people," and the work environment "is always professional."
The clubhouse
Insiders frequently point to the "cameraderie" within the Bureau, and express satisfaction at working for an agency "that accomplishes so much day in and day out." "The work is very mentally challenging," says one source. "I would not trade my years in the FBI for any other career." Adds a source: "The pay is excellent, respect shown by the citizenry is gratifying, and the personal feeling of achievement is almost overwhelming." Some FBI employees complain, however, that the agency does not effectively respond to transfer and other personnel requests. In addition, while employees praise the agency's hiring and promotion of women, several say that the recruitment of minorities "needs serious improvement." A survey of the Bureau's Special Agents shows that, as of November 1998, 7.1 percent are Hispanic, 5.7 percent are African-American, 2.6 percent are Asian, and .5 percent are Native Americans. The FBI also reports that 110 of its 11,541 Special Agents are disabled.
007
Special Agents report working with "all the latest law enforcement technology." Even though the equipment often "looks like something out of James Bond," most federal law enforcement is not as "glamorous or exciting as anything you will see in the movies." However, FBI posts are the "most coveted in U.S. law enforcement," despite salaries that are only "average" early on.
One part Sherlock, one part sergeant
As a Special Agent, "your primary job is to collect facts, information, and evidence regarding violations of federal law, and to report them to the U.S. Attorney who will then prosecute the case." As one Agent describes it, "you aren't really as much a police officer as an investigator." The typical workday for a Special Agent "involves meeting and talking to the public, oftentimes professionals, such as educators, accountants, and bankers." In addition, Agents "frequently testify in court." The official workday is 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., "but Special Agents must work whatever hours are needed to complete their work." They must also "be prepared to respond to emergency situations, regardless of the time of day." FBI HQ and field offices are staffed 24 hours a day, "often by support personnel."
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Human Resources
(202) 324-3674
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