DETROIT – A special new role has emerged at the FBI that retirees -- even grandparents -- could be well-suited for. It doesn't fit the mold of what many people think about FBI agents, but it is a critical job.
The FBI said that there are ISIS terrorist investigations in all 50 states, and about 900 terror investigations are currently underway. The threat of a terror attack on American soil is very real, and it has the FBI doing something it has never done before: hiring civilians and retirees to use their talents to fight off terror.
When people think about the FBI, they might think of agents busting down doors and bringing in bad guys. But much of the work goes on behind the scenes, and now the FBI is looking for people like you, your parents and even your grandparents.
"We're trying to increase our diversity, and in the next few years, we are going to hire 750 agents upward to 1,000 or 2,000 professional staff, and 250 or so intelligence analysts," FBI special agent in charge David Gellios said.
For too long, the FBI has been too white and too male. Now, they want diversity. They need it, and the war on terror requires knowledge in hundreds of different cultures. Different people have different skill sets, so the FBI wants all ages, races and sexes to join in the fight to protect America.
"Culturally, ethnically, and then the professional backgrounds of people -- we need computer scientists, analysts, we need accountants, attorneys -- that's why we're drawing from a very diverse group," Gellios said.
Jacqueline Elsayed, of Marygrove College, is learning more about the FBI's needs to try to match students at her college with full-time careers at the agency.
"We all want to make our neighborhoods safer and our country safe, and it helps us by knowing and matching our students who want to make a difference and the right students will be a great match for the FBI," Elsayed said.
Thousands of languages and dialects exist. Those who speak them, including retirees, can get paid part-time as linguists.
"If you are looking for a sense of first having your voice heard and represent your culture positively, and a sense of service and commitment, we're here," said FBI language resources unit Maria Acevedo.
The FBI knows that the threats are more prevalent than ever, and Detroiters can be the difference maker in keeping people safe.
"What makes Detroit such an outstanding place to further this initiative is we're a mosaic, we have a very fertile recruiting ground here because there are people of every ethnicity in this area," Acevedo said.
Last year, 60 terror cases were prosecuted in the United States. The FBI said that the new civilian hires will help more radicalized Americans. They expect the number of terror cases to go up, in hopes that the number of actual attacks goes down.
Part-time jobs for retirees will be between $30 and $60 per hour. The full-time jobs will be at agent pay with full benefits. You can learn more about the jobs on the FBI's website.
Sign up for ClickOnDetroit Email Newsletters (click here) for more stories like this.