Tennessee has a long history as a safe haven for criminals, which goes back to the outlaw days of the Wild West, and the bootlegging during prohibition. There are two main field offices in Memphis and Knoxville that support the bulk of FBI jobs in Tennessee:
Memphis: The Memphis field office is responsible for overseeing all FBI operations in the Western part of the state. The Memphis office has many partnerships with local and state law enforcement agencies and community groups, including the Memphis Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Memphis Field Intelligence Group, the Joint Cyber Crime Task Force, Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Mortgage Fraud Task Force and the Memphis Cargo Task Force, among many other partnerships.
Satellite Offices in the Memphis Jurisdiction: Clarksville, Columbia, Cookeville, Jackson and Nashville.
Knoxville: The Knoxville field office is slightly smaller in jurisdiction size and number of jobs. Knoxville is responsible for monitoring the Eastern side of the state. The Eastern side of the state experiences tons of traffic going to the Eastern Seaboard, and from west-to-east on the way the Southern and Mid-West regions of the country.
Satellite Offices in the Knoxville Jurisdiction: Chattanooga, Oak Ridge, Johnson City and Tullahoma.
Requirements for FBI Jobs in Tennessee
Tennessee has the same job requirements as every FBI division in the country. Applicants must first meet the basic requirements of the job, which include the following:
- Must be between the ages of 23 and 36 (some exceptions are made in special circumstances)
- Must have a Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited four-year university or college
- Must be willing to relocate to any area under the jurisdiction of the FBI
- Must pass a physical exam and a written exam
Once applicants pass all psychological and aptitude exams, they are enrolled into a generalized training program in Quantico, Virginia, and then entered into a secondary training program that focuses on developing skills in a specialized area.
Featured FBI Careers Available in Tennessee
With two field offices, the Tennessee FBI offers plenty of opportunities to learn new tasks and skills and take part in various operations:
Specialized Weapons and Tactics (SWAT): Memphis has an 11-member SWAT team that specializes in storming barricaded buildings, breaching locks, arresting armed and dangerous criminals and rescuing hostages, among many other tasks. The Knoxville field office has a 14-member SWAT team.
Evidence Recovery and Processing: Knoxville has two teams of eight members, which are responsible for collecting evidence at crime scenes and analyzing it for clues. Evidence can include blood, DNA, fingerprints, bullets and other items found at or near the crime scene(s.) Memphis has one team of evidence analyzers, which are frequently called upon to assist local law enforcement officials in high-profile crimes and cases.
Bomb Recovery and Analysis: Memphis has three bomb specialists who are responsible for identifying explosive materials, testing those materials and rendering them useless when needed. Knoxville also has a team of three bomb specialists.
Hazardous Materials: The Knoxville office has one hazardous materials expert who is responsible for overseeing the handling of chemical, radiological and biological hazardous waste and materials. The Memphis field office employs three HAZMAT specialists.