Working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) can be a rewarding yet challenging position in federal law enforcement and domestic intelligence. It is the responsibility of FBI agents and employees to enforce, protect and uphold federal laws, as well as to assist international, municipal, state and county law enforcement agencies as needed.
There are two FBI field offices located in Ohio – one in Cincinnati and one in Cleveland. FBI jobs in Ohio involve enforcing federal jurisdiction over more than 200 federal law categories.
The Role of the FBI in Ohio
Some of the areas in which those with FBI jobs in Ohio concentrate their efforts include:
- Protecting the United States from terrorism
- After September 11, 2001, the Cincinnati office made its anti-terrorism division a higher priority, and strengthened its Joint Terrorism Task Force with offices in Cincinnati and Columbus
- Protecting the United States from terrorism
- Protecting the United States from cyber and technology crimes
- In 1996, the Cleveland office launched a program called InfraGard, which helps local information technology professionals share information on cyber threats confidentially
- Protecting the United States from cyber and technology crimes
- Protecting the United States from foreign espionage
- The Cleveland office helped to convict the first foreign company of economic espionage in 1999
- Protecting the United States from foreign espionage
- Fighting violent crime
- In 1984 and 1988, Cincinnati agents arrested fugitives who were on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list
- Fighting violent crime
- Fighting white collar crime
- Agents from the Cincinnati office investigated baseball star Pete Rose for illegal gambling from 1986 to 1989
- Fighting white collar crime
- Fighting national /international crime organizations
- Over the years, Cleveland agents have investigated national and international organizations including the Socialist Workers’ Party and New Libya
- Fighting national /international crime organizations
- Fighting public corruption
- In 2013, agents from the Cincinnati office investigated a CEO for tax and mortgage loan fraud
- Fighting public corruption
- Protecting the civil rights of all Americans
- Cleveland agents have investigated the hate crime group the National Knights of the Ku Klux Klan for many years
How to Become an FBI Special Agent in Ohio: Training and Degree Requirements
Ohio residents who wish to become FBI agents must first realize the extreme dedication that the position requires. After exploring the challenges of being an FBI Special Agent in Ohio and deciding to embark upon this career, qualifications that one must meet include:
- Possess U.S. citizenship
- Be between the ages of 23 and 36 at the time of application
- Possess at least a bachelor’s degree
- Possess at least two years of professional experience
- Be willing to go anywhere assigned by the FBI
As of 2013, the FBI is looking for persons to apply to become an FBI Special Agent in Ohio with the following education and/or experience:
- Computer science
- Cyber security
- Computer engineering
- Electrical engineering
- Information technology
- Network administration
- Computer forensics
- Intelligence
- Military
- Pilots
- Detectives
- Scientists
- Those who speak a foreign language fluently (ones most needed include Chinese, Spanish, Korean, Farsi, Urdu, Arabic, Punjabi, Pashto and Russian)
- Attorneys certified by the bar
- Certified Public Accountants
For more information on local FBI needs, contact the Cincinnati office at (513) 421-4310 or the Cleveland office at (216) 622-6689.
FBI Field Offices and Jobs in Ohio
Cincinnati: Each FBI Field Office works in partnership with different local organizations to focus on problems relevant to the area.Some of the job specializations in which Cincinnati FBI Agents focus their efforts on include:
- Violent Crimes Task Force in Cincinnati – works with the Safe Streets Task Forces in Dayton and Columbus, focusing on street gangs, violent crime, and illegal drugs and weapons
- Cyber Crime Task Force – works in Southern and Central Ohio to fight cyber threats statewide
- Mortgage Fraud Task Force – works in Dayton and Cincinnati to combat mortgage fraud activities
- Health Care Working Group – works in Cincinnati to find and prosecute persons attempting to defraud the health care system.
Cleveland: Specializations in which FBI Special Agents in Cleveland may work include:
- Cleveland Hate Crimes and Civil Rights Working Group – promotes community involvement and recognition of civil rights violations and hate crimes
- Cleveland Joint Terrorism Task Force – a collective of 40 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies that review threats and investigate terrorism on the domestic and international levels
- FBI Counterintelligence Strategic Partnerships Program – fosters relationships between the FBI, government agencies, academia and the private sector