THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 18, 1995 TAG: 9501180011
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 36 lines
I would like to comment briefly on the recent article about the FBI's hiring of as many as 2,000 special agents during the next three years. I do so in light of the response our office has received from hundreds of bright, talented young people in Hampton Roads, all interested in helping to make our streets safe and our country secure.
Your article quite accurately described the FBI's continued need for candidates with an increasingly broad range of backgrounds and skills. This diversity is particularly critical to the bureau as the nature and complexity of our investigative mission changes. We also consider it essential, and we are committed to ensuring, that the FBI's agent complement is truly reflective of the diverse nature of our nation's population.
It appears, however, that a number of people who have communicated with us and also to your newspaper mistakenly believe that the bureau's hiring policy has somehow changed to the extent that white males are now discouraged from applying, or even excluded from consideration. This is simply not the case. The FBI's policy has been, and continues to be, to attract and hire the most highly qualified applicants irrespective of race or gender.
I am very encouraged by the outpouring of interest generated following your article, and trust that my comments will clarify our employment policy.
LARRY E. TORRENCE
Special agent in charge
Norfolk, Jan. 9, 1995 by CNB