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11/13/03
 Want
to find out first hand how the FBI works? Hear how the
Bureau tracks down spies and terrorists? Learn how to collect
and preserve evidence? See what it is like to fire a weapon
and put yourselves in the shoes of a Special Agent making
a split-second,
life-or-death decision?
If you
are a leader in your community, you just might be able
to do that and more – through an FBI Citizens’ Academy.
It
was an idea waiting to happen: “How can
we ask people to help us with our investigations if they
don’t understand what we do?” the Special
Agent in Charge in Phoenix asked in 1993. So he invited
leaders in his
community to come to class … and the rest is history. Today, 49 of the
FBI’s
56 field offices have a Citizens’ Academy in place or underway, from Albany
to Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. Nearly half of these Academies have been opened
since September 11, 2001 – a clear sign of how much the FBI values community
partnerships in this era of homeland security and increasingly complex crime.
Who
Attends? Business, civic, and religious leaders,
each nominated by a Bureau employee or a previous Academy
graduate. Because classified techniques used in criminal
and national security cases are discussed, nominees must
undergo a background check and get an interim security
clearance. Each session has around
20-30 students.
For
How Long? Classes generally meet ten times (eight
on weeknights and two on Saturday) for three hours each
session.
The
Newest FBI Partners. On Wednesday, 26 community
leaders from New York City became the latest graduates
of the Citizens’ Academy program. Assistant Director
in Charge Pat D’Amuro hosted the graduation ceremony.
The keynote
speaker was Cassandra Chandler, the FBI’s Assistant Director of the Office
of Public Affairs.
Stressing
the serious, interconnected security threats facing our
nation today, AD Chandler
said, “The days are gone when business and communities can stand on the
sidelines – concerned, but fairly remote from the work of law enforcement. … We
must transform ourselves into a truly interdependent community.” She thanked
the graduates for their character and their “willingness to stand courageously
to protect America.”
Link:
Citizens’
Academy Program
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