Border Patrol looks to hire more women, minorities

The Border Patrol is aiming to attract more women and minorities as it strengthens its presence at the border with the addition of more than 6,000 agents.

"Over the next two years, we'd like to see the numbers of women and African-American, Asian-American and Native American Border Patrol agents increase significantly," said Franklin C. Jones, special assistant for equal employment opportunity at the Customs and Border Protection bureau, in a statement.

CBP, which houses the Border Patrol, is focusing on these minority groups because there are already large numbers of Hispanics within the agency. About 2.5 percent of agents are African-American, Asian-American or Native American, according to CBP.

Women are particularly underrepresented in relation to the general population, with females making up only 5.4 percent of agents. The percentage of female Border Patrol agents is lower even than that of women at other federal law enforcement agencies. For example, 18.5 percent of FBI agents, 13.3 percent of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents, and 10.5 percent of Secret Service agents are women.

But while total numbers of women in the Border Patrol are low, 19.8 percent of those in CBP officer positions are women.

Jones said while women and minorities may be hesitant to apply, those who do can set an example for others, helping to increase diversity. "It's not necessarily the easiest thing in the world to be the only woman or black person in your academy class, but it's worth it," he said. "You are doing something good for the country, and you are paving the way for others who want to follow in your path."

There are several requirements for applying to the Border Patrol. Only U.S. citizens under the age of 40 with valid driver's licenses will be considered. Applicants must meet physical fitness standards and pass a drug-screening test, a background check and a written exam.

"When it comes to women, the prospective candidate needs to believe that she can do anything a man can do, because the physical fitness requirements in the Border Patrol are the same for women as for men," Jones said.

CBP is employing a variety of tools to meet its goal of hiring 6,000 additional Border Patrol agents by 2008. The agency has increased the age limit from 37 to 40, fanned out at job fairs across the country and run television advertisements. It also is offering a $1,500 bonus to employees who refer successful Border Patrol applicants. The Border Patrol has even sponsored a NASCAR vehicle.

In a statement, CBP said the auto racing sponsorship was designed to "increase [the agency's] household name recognition across Middle America, which will in turn encourage prospective candidates to apply for entry-level positions."

CBP has not addressed how it will tailor these efforts to target women and minorities, and did not return calls for comment.