interns
A-10 • JULY 30, 2012 • HALLS/FOUNTAIN CITY SHOPPER-NEWS
My FBI story By Jake Mabe OK, I’ll admit it. I have always wanted to be a federal agent. It started when I was a kid, I guess. I devoured former News Sentinel columnist Don Whitehead’s book “The FBI Story.” I did a report on J. Edgar Hoover in the 5th grade. I loved reruns of the TV series “The FBI” with Efrem Zimbalist Jr. and I was one of about five people who rooted for Melvin Purvis instead of Johnny Dillinger in the 1973 Warren Oates movie “Dillinger.” I had even started to suspect that acting FBI director L. Patrick Gray was Deep Throat, the infamous Watergate source who told Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward to “Follow the money” while investigating the scandal that would bring down President Richard Nixon’s administration. Who else but an FBI agent, I reasoned, would have that kind of information? (I was close. Deep Throat was Gray’s No. 2 guy at the bureau: W. Mark Felt.) So, when I was asked to accompany the interns on a tour of Knoxville’s FBI building last Tuesday, I didn’t have to be asked twice. I felt like a kid at Christmas. Security was tight, as you can imagine. We couldn’t take cameras or even cellphones along. Our tour guide was Ronda Stewart, secretary to the Assistant Special Agent in Charge. The tour was facilitated by former FBI employee Judy McCarter. The first thing you see in-
An exterior view of the Federal Bureau of Investigation building off Middlebrook Pike. Cellphones and cameras were not allowed inside the building. Photo by Ruth White side the main building is a large photograph of Hoover in the lobby, along with photos of his successors. The lobby’s floor is dominated by the FBI seal. We saw the bureau’s collection of weapons, including an old Tommy gun similar to the kind Purvis and his crew would have used against the Dillinger gang. We saw a briefcase gun, used to protect the president of the United States, which looked like something straight out of James Bond. Out in the garage, we saw the bureau’s Humvee as well as a van that looks like it would be used in a stakeout. I was tickled to learn that the male FBI agents are still expected to wear coats and ties. They can dress down on casual day. Most of the time. Alas, they don’t fingerprint suspects anymore using the ink blotter that was a staple of shows like “The FBI” and “Dragnet.” And, I doubt the agents still wear fedoras. (Most of the male employees I saw did not have on coats and ties.) But, for almost two hours
FBI FACTS: ■ The agency was formed in 1908 as the Bureau of Investigation and the name was changed to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1938. ■ Cases investigated by the bureau include Bonnie and Clyde, Al Capone, John Gotti, “Pretty Boy” Floyd and Lester Gillis, aka “Baby Face” Nelson. ■ The FBI has an annual budget of $8 billion. ■ J. Edgar Hoover was director from 1924-1972. ■ There are roughly 36,000 employees worldwide at the agency. ■ The agency’s motto is “Fidelity, Bravery and Integrity.” ■ The first Special Agent in Charge in Knoxville was named in 1935.
last Tuesday, I finally got to live out my own “FBI Story.” Kid in a candy store. Better than Christmas. Visit Jake Mabe online at jakemabe. blogspot.com.
‘Investigating’ the FBI By Madeline Lonas The interns seem to be in a lot of trouble lately. Last week they were sent to Juvenile Court, and this week they had a meeting with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Many people don’t know the FBI has a location in Tennessee, let alone multiple locations. The Knoxville office is located right off of Middlebrook Pike. The FBI focuses on threats that challenge the foundations of American society or involve dangers too large or complex for any local or state authority to handle alone. Their top 10 priorities are the following: 1. Protect the United States from terrorist attack 2. Protect the United States against foreign intelligence operations and espionage 3. Protect the United States against cyberbased attacks and hightechnology crimes
4. Combat public corruption at all levels 5. Protect civil rights 6. Combat transnational/ national criminal organizations and enterprises 7. Combat major whitecollar crime 8. Combat significant violent crime 9. Support federal, state, local and international partners 10. Upgrade technology to successfully perform the FBI’s mission. The FBI’s mission is to protect and defend the United States against terrorist and foreign threats, to enforce the criminal laws, and to provide leadership and criminal justice. Although they can seem scary, they only want to help and keep everyone safe. Each and every one of the agents would risk their lives for us, and do everyday. Applicants must have a college education. The FBI then gives them 20 weeks
of training. The training involves physical workouts, firearms, legal defense and more. The training takes place in various locations with different climates around the United States. Agents are issued gear that weighs up to 60 lbs; this includes a bulletproof vest, ammunition, and a gun. Not every agent knows the details of every case. They only know what’s going on in their assigned cases. Not all employees have the same access to the building. The FBI is a very private organization. They take security very seriously. It’s not uncommon for employees to have their credentials challenged. Being a huge fan of the TV show “Criminal Minds,” I felt honored being able to have a tour of the building. With all of the high technology and security, it really made me feel safe.
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