The vicinity of the state of Arizona to the border between the U.S. and Mexico makes the state one of the most exciting places for Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents to operate. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the U.S. government has amped up the presence of border patrol agents and have cracked down on illegal immigration. But, even with the increased presence, additional help is needed to assist U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and local law enforcement. One of the primary goals of the FBI is to bolster national security efforts and stop possible terrorist attacks, so stemming the tide of illegal immigration has become a major priority of FBI agents in Arizona.
FBI Field Office Locations in Arizona
Phoenix (Main Field Office): The main headquarters for the FBI is located in Phoenix, which is the largest metropolitan area in the entire state. The Phoenix FBI field office is responsible for dispatching the secondary field offices in the state, which are commonly known as satellite offices or resident agencies.
Satellite Office Locations: Flagstaff, Gallup, Lake Havasu, Lakeside, Sierra Vista, Tucson, Yuma
The Arizona FBI agency deploys four separate evidence response teams via the satellite offices located in the towns of Flagstaff, Gallup and Tucson. There is also an evidence response team located at the Phoenix headquarters. Evidence response teams are responsible for investigating high-profile crime scenes for evidence that can be used to catch the criminals and prosecute them in the court of law. These evidence response teams make up the largest number of FBI jobs in Arizona.
Career Paths for FBI Professionals in Arizona
There are a variety of careers are training in the state of Arizona. The FBI presence in the state is asked to perform a large amount of duties. The following is a breakdown of the FBI jobs in Arizona, as well as the FBI requirements in Arizona:
Evidence Response and Processing: These agents are largely responsible for gathering and processing physical evidence at crime scenes. This includes taking photos at crime scenes and logging them into a database, diagramming and surveying crime scenes, gathering finger prints and other physical evidence (blood, DNA, etc.,) analyzing blood splatter patterns, determining bullet trajectories, and finding other clues. These agents are highly-trained in a number of techniques and are some of the busiest employees at the FBI offices in the state of Arizona.
Computer Forensics: These FBI experts perform many of the same investigative techniques as the Evidence Response and Processing team, but apply those skills to the digital world. They are responsible for obtaining evidence from computers and other digital devices.
Tactical Support: Agents in this division are asked to assist local law enforcement in dangerous situations, such as hostage crises, open air and stronghold assaults, desert operations (such as locating illegal immigrants,) the apprehension of dangerous criminals and a host of other duties. In 2010, Tactical Support specialists were dispatched to capture a man crossing the border who murdered a border patrol agent. These agents are also responsible for assisting in drug busts and other high-profile border crimes. FBI requirements in Arizona for this job are very stringent and demanding.
Translation: The state of Arizona has a large number of immigrants (both legal and illegal) from Mexico, so agents in this division are responsible for translating Spanish to English in cases where the FBI’s services are needed by local law enforcement and the border patrol. The ability to speak Spanish fluently is a big plus when it comes to how to get an FBI job in Arizona.