SALDEF working with FBI to increase service recruitment and retention within Sikh American Community Washington D.C. – May 25, 2007 – This past Sunday, May 20, 2007, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the nations oldest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization, co-sponsored an event with the Sikh Foundation of Virginia (SFV) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to increase recruitment of Sikh Americans into the Bureau. For the past several months, SALDEF has been advocating on behalf of the community for concerted efforts to increase the recruitment of Sikh Americans into the FBI. In meetings with National FBI Headquarters, FBI Washington Field Office, and the FBI’s Personnel Recruiting Unit (PRU), Bureau representatives have told SALDEF that Sikh American youth and young professionals, including those who possess Punjabi language skills, are highly desirable to the FBI. Speaking at the event were: Rajbir Singh Datta – Associate Director, SALDEF; Harjit Singh Chawla – Board Chairman, Sikh Foundation of Virginia; Gwendolyn Hubbard – Division Chief, FBI Personnel Resources Unit; Joseph Persichini – Assistant Director, FBI Washington field Office, Sunjeet Singh – Sikh FBI Analyst The purpose of this pilot event was to engage with the community and gauge the effectiveness of a possible national intitiative between SALDEF and the PRU to increase recruitment and retention of Sikh Americans into the FBI as special agents and professional support staff. “SALDEF is working closely with the FBI and other federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security to encourage active recruitment efforts withing the Sikh American community,” stated SALDEF Managing Director Kavneet Singh. “We urge Sikhs from across the country to collaborate with SALDEF to organize similar events in their local communities to explore opportunities with federal agencies.” Additionally, SALDEF is working with the Washington Field Office of the FBI and a number of Arab and Muslim organizations on a Future Agents in Training (FTI) program to recruit a total of fifteen high school students, aged 16 – 18, to participate in a week long event in Quantico, VA at the FBI Training Academy. This pilot program, if successful, has the potential to expand nationally and provide Sikh American youth with the unique opportunity to learn more about the FBI and its career options with an on-hands approach. If you would like to organize a similar event in your local community, please contact SALDEF at 202-393-2700 ext 27 or by email.
