THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, December 27, 1994 TAG: 9412270258
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LYNN WALTZ, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 111 lines
The FBI is gearing up to hire nearly 2,000 special agents over the next three years, its biggest recruitment push in two decades. And the agency makes no secret that many of those jobs will go to women and minorities.
White males may have to have a law or accounting degree, speak an Asian language or be able to pilot a plane to be hired.
``We want a more culturally diverse workplace to mirror the population,'' said J. Robert Shay, the FBI's local recruiter. ``It's going to be more difficult for white males. It will be better if they have a specialty.''
The push for new agents comes partly because a two-year hiring freeze has been lifted, partly because an aging workforce has resulted in an unprecedented number of retirements, and partly in response to lawsuits and allegations of racial and sexual discrimination by the FBI.
Though the numbers of women and minorities have risen swiftly since the early 1970s, when the first women agents were hired, they are still unacceptably low, recruiters say. In 1973, women represented 0.27 percent of all special agents.Now the level is 12.2 percent. Minorities now represent 13.5 percent, up from 2.3 percent in 1973.
Of 1,209 women agents, 123 are now managers, representing 8 percent of the FBI's supervisory staff.
Two recruit classes at the FBI training academy in Quantico reflect the shift. Thirteen of 26 people in one class are women; four are minorities. Twelve of 31 in another class are women, with minority figures not available. Minority levels are expected to be higher in subsequent classes, which start every three weeks.
But the transition has been rocky at best as a series of racial and sexual discrimination lawsuits have tarnished the FBI's image. One solution is to increase the numbers, recruiters say.
``Qualified minorities and women will be hired. No question,'' Shay said. ``We're trying to overcome the past.''
In September, one of the first two women hired in 1972 retired and filed a discrimination suit, alleging a pattern of promotion denials due to an entrenched good-old-boy system. In recent years, Hispanics and blacks have also sued, claiming harassment and discrimination.
Meanwhile, others have found success without seeking legal redress.
Burdena Pasenelli, 49, hired 22 years ago, now holds one of the bureau's 12 top positions. As assistant director in charge of the Finance Division, Pasenelli says opportunities are golden for young women recruits willing to work hard.
``We have women in all levels now in the FBI and the successes that they're achieving demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt that there's not a job in the FBI that a woman can't do,'' she said
With starting pay about $40,000 and rising to over $100,000 for upper management, recruiters hope they can attract a large pool of qualified candidates.
Recruiters hope the overall reputation of the bureau will overcome reservations among minorities and women.
``The FBI is one of the most prestigious law enforcement agencies, partly because of the pay, partly because we prosecute over 250 violations, partly because there's a lot of variety,'' said Shay.
The FBI's focus has shifted in recent years to white-collar and financial crime, requiring agents to be better educated and more sophisticated in their investigative techniques
With an unprecedented number of retirees, the FBI will be able to bring in younger agents more familiar and comfortable with computers, and hire agents better suited to the FBI's new role.
In 1992, 116 agents retired. By 1994, the number soared to 402. The average age of special agents is 41 years and one month.
Norfolk is one of 34 recruiting centers across the country, where applicants will be screened, then forwarded to headquarters in Washington for actual processing, testing and hiring.
Recruiters here are banking on the area's historically black colleges and shrinking military to provide applicants. A wing of the new FBI office off South Military Highway has been dedicated to interviewing and screening applicants.
``Oceana has a number of Navy pilots,'' Shay said. ``It's a different kind of flying, but a guy who likes to fly might consider it.''
Besides pilots, the FBI is looking for applicants who can speak Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese or Korean.
Applications are being accepted in four areas: Law, accounting, language and diversified. Basic requirements include a college degree, physical agility and a willingness to relocate, Shay said.
Those who have used drugs will be scrutinized carefully. All applicants will be polygraphed. Applicants who have used marijuana within three years or used other illegal drugs within 10 will probably be disqualified.
That's a significant shift from earlier years, when drug use meant automatic disqualification.
``We tried to set up a standard knowing we would be hiring people who grew up in the '60s and '70s,'' Shay said. ``You're going to have to change the policy for those people for obvious reasons. I'm not saying we're happy about it. But it's a fact of life.'' ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
TO APPLY FOR A JOB AS FBI AGENT:
1. Call the local recruiter, special agent J. Robert Shay, at
455-0100. Do not send unsolicited resumes.
2. An Applicant Information Booklet will be sent to you. Complete
the application and return it.
3. You will be contacted for a screening interview. If you
qualify, your application will be forwarded to headquarters, where
hiring is conducted.
Qualifications: Four-year college degree, very limited or no drug
use, willingness to relocate, age between 23 and 37 years, excellent
physical condition, willingness to carry a gun.
Disqualifiers: Felony conviction, student loan default, illegal
drug sales.
by CNB