Breaking The Glass Ceiling: A Path Forward For FBI Agent Recruitment
Abstract
America has faced a racial reckoning as tensions have boiled over between law enforcement and communities of color. The killings of Philando Castile, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless other shave led to extensive protests. As the lead agency for investigating federal civil rights and color-of-law violations, the FBI has often been called upon to investigate police actions in these deadly encounters. However, many have questioned the bureau's ability to be impartial, due to the agency's history of questionable treatment of minorities and the fact that most FBI special agents are white males. In order for the FBI to gain the trust of minority communities, it needs to start reflecting the diversity of the country. Using Bardach and Patashnik's eight-step policy analysis framework, this thesis examines the FBI's recruitment processes and suggests some solutions for a more diverse special agent workforce. This research demonstrates that factors such as the perception of law enforcement, FBI promotional policies and practices, and an absent nationwide recruitment strategy affect the bureau's ability to recruit a more diverse pool of agents. This research recommends that in order to create a more diverse workforce, the FBI needs to 1) develop a nationwide recruitment strategy, 2) foster strategic partnerships, 3) develop and utilize data analytics to drive diversity targets, and 4) engage a third party to review and evaluate the FBI's special agent selection process.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1164301
Entities
People
- Marcus Joachim
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School