THE FBI AND I

(sigh)

After working for the FBI for almost 20 years, I retired a while back and heaved a LONG sigh of relief at being out of a 50-mile-one-way commute in insane daily traffic, stress at personnel resources being stretched to the seams and the subsequent stress which resulted, a bureaucracy run amok and an obsolete culture that was (and is) counter-productive to the organization's current mission. It's a shame.

I have great respect for what the FBI was in the past and COULD BE again, but it's frustrating to observe its current misdirection. Instead of the terrorist attacks on 9/11/01 providing impetus for a tighter re-organization, it made the agency (as well as the CIA and NSA) a whirling dervish spewing into crevices it has no right to inhabit. The FBI has always been top-notch in pursuing violations of Federal crime; the CIA has built its reputation on foreign counterintelligence; and we only have a GENERAL idea of the depth of NSA's mission regarding foreign intelligence matters. But even prior to 9/11, the FBI's involvement in domestic intelligence had also branched out to include unrelated narcotics cases (much to the chagrin of the DEA).

The FBI had spread itself too thin even before 9/11. So what happened after that? This is where the Bush administration knee-jerked and formed Homeland Security, which would have been a fairly interesting concept had they been handed over all matters concerning its namesake. But it wasn't organized that way, and each of the agencies which came before them maintained their jurisdiction over many of the same issues -- which resulted in Homeland Security becoming just another layer of bureaucracy to which they have to report and (theoretically) share information. As much as I hate to say this, I believe we are at greater risk today than before 9/11 because the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing -- and there are more fingers on more hands pointing in a myriad of directions.

There's a constant competition within the Federal government for money, equipment, personnel resources, AUTHORITY. The system is broken and no one knows how to fix it. While I have personal knowledge of the talent, dedication, expertise and versatility of the INDIVIDUALS who make up the FBI, I have disdain for the agency's ability to use them appropriately and wisely. It doesn't matter what trivial area of expertise is required in conducting the public business, the FBI has someone who can do it and do it expertly. If there were a need for an Urdu-speaking ambidextrous yoga instructor, you can bet the FBI has one -- or two. The organization is amazing in that respect. But until it's understood that each agency should concentrate on what it does best and relinquish its hold on fraternal agencies' missions, NO agency will function efficiently.

Well, now that I've solved THAT problem, I'll see about cutting my toenails.

(sigh)