UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
Life as a Community Outreach Specialist
07/19/06
Natosha
Gale joined the FBI in 1988 and has been the
community outreach specialist in our Philadelphia
Division for a dozen years. Her job? To get
out and meet people in surrounding communities
and demystify the FBI. We talked with Natosha
about her day-to-day activities and her memorable
experiences on the job—including her
work on the "Step Up, Speak Up: Take
the Big Step" campaign which encourages
people with information on crimes to cooperate
with law enforcement. Read the interview.
Q:
Natosha, what's your role in the FBI?
Natosha: It boils down to this: to make
life easier and more productive for our agents
and support professionals. I do that a lot
of different ways—for example, by spreading
the word about the FBI's work to stop terrorism,
violent crime, gangs, drugs, Internet frauds,
and more. That way, the community will have
a better understanding of what we do and be
more willing to help—and maybe even willing
to sign up to join our team! I also try to
get out and meet people…and to make new
friends for the FBI. For example, not so long
ago there was head of an organization here
in town whose relationship with the FBI was
strained, to say the least. I got to know
him and he began to trust me…and that
helped improve his opinion of the FBI. Eventually,
I gently persuaded him (he'd say I twisted
his arm!) to attend a Citizens' Academy. Right
after the graduation, he went and bought an
FBI hat. That's when I knew we had made a
new friend. Today, he's by far one of our
biggest supporters.
Q:
What's a typical day like?
Natosha: I'll tell you one thing, you'll
rarely find me at my desk! One minute, you
might find me giving tips to seniors on how
to avoid getting scammed. The next, I'll be
in a meeting focused on developing strategies
to prevent terrorist attacks. The next, I'll
be with elementary school children, reading
a book I wrote that helps youngsters understand
"stranger/danger" and how to avoid
becoming targets of child predators. I also
wear a couple of other hats—I'm the division's
cultural diversity trainer, upward mobility
coordinator, and equal employment opportunity
mediator. I guess you can say the fun never
stops!
Q.
What's been your most memorable experience?
Natosha: I'd have to say it's been the
"Step Up, Speak Up" campaign. The day
we launched the campaign, Sister Dee from
a local organization called "Mothers
in Charge"—one of our partners in
the campaign—sang a beautiful song. One
line really touched me: "Only way to
stop this violence is we're going to have
to break our code of silence." In May,
we also held a rally at a community center
where a 14-year-old boy was shot to death
as he performed community service. At one
point, I found myself hugging the boy's mother
as she broke down in tears. There wasn't a
dry eye in the place…and at that moment,
the mission of the campaign truly hit home.
For me personally, there's nothing more rewarding
than being in a position to help keep mothers
and children safe. It's something I try to
remember every day—the FBI's job, above
all, is to make our country safer for our
children. It's not a cliché—they
are our future.
