Public & Human Services: FBI Special Agent
Public & Human Services
FBI Special Agent:
Arnold Laanui
For Arnold Laanui, being an FBI Special Agent (SA) isn't a job — it's a way of life. "I came from the Batman generation. I kind of like the idea of being the one to actually grab the Penguin. I want to be that guy." Twelve- to fourteen-hour days are rather common. "It's a way of looking at the world and doing certain things at a certain level of expectations," says Laanui.
Beyond The Movies?
"One of the things I enjoy about this job," says SA Laanui, "is that the stuff you see in the movies is NOTHING compared to what really happens on a daily basis in this office — NOTHING!" In the past, he's been a member of the SWAT team. Now, he's the FBI's media representative, advanced police instructor, the office profiler (handling unusual crimes concerning missing children, sociopathic behavior, criminally insane, etc.), and deals with cyber investigation as well.
Becoming An FBI Agent
There was never a doubt in SA Laanui's mind that a career with the FBI was his calling. Ever since coming across the book, "Interesting Careers in Law" at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, he was determined to join the FBI. And it took a two-year letter-writing campaign just to get an internship application — the first in Honolulu to ever do so! "Nobody in my family ever went to college….I took a look at whatever direction I wanted, looked at the necessary qualifications, and I got them. On the second day of my FBI internship, I said to myself: This is it! I'm coming!"
But as soon as Laanui graduated law school, he faced more obstacles. The federal government wasn't hiring for 18 months due to a work furlough imposed by the President. He told himself, "OK. I'll do something else for now, but I'll be back!" So he went off and hung out with the criminals a bit — as a U.S. Probation Officer.
Application Process
The application process to get into the FBI took almost a year: several different levels of testing, like an SAT-like exam (reading and math oriented), a written exam, and an interview by three FBI agents. If you pass, the final hurdles are the polygraph test and a background check. Once "in," you're on probation for the next two years, evaluated on whether you can still be an FBI agent.
Each Day
As the world's premier law enforcement agency, FBI agents are chasing down criminals both on the streets and in the cyber world. "We wake up each day because we all want to be the one person who does something good for everybody else….The criminals that we go after are the world's premier criminals — the ones the police cannot get either because of their ultra-violence, ultra-craftiness, or because of the multi-jurisdictional issues that are involved….They just don't play in Kalihi valley, Hawaii Kai, or in Waianae — they play throughout the world," says Laanui.
Room For Everybody
The opportunities are huge in the FBI. Like a microcosm of society, there's a need for doctors, scientists, CPA's, attorneys, pilots, policemen…even interior designers. In fact, the guy who sits next to SA Laanui used to be a high school English teacher. Laanui says, "There is room for everybody in this organization."
When Things Get Rough…
There's a whole range of violations out there, and if you're like Arnold Laanui, you'll know deep inside whether you like the idea of being on the cutting-edge, making that final arrest, and being the person to make something positive happen. "When things get difficult, I just remember that I'm called to do this. Much like most other police officers who pray that they come home safely, I say a quiet prayer to ask God to put me where He needs me. I want to be the one that He calls when He needs something done. I want to have that privilege, that opportunity…"