Brain Drain a Problem for FBI

    Printable Version

By Daryn Kagan and Kelli Arena, CNN Live Today

August 24, 2006

Transcript

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Brain drain at the FBI. There's turnover at the top, and critics say it comes at the worst possible time. Here now, justice correspondent Kelli Arena.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An FBI agent for 31 years, Ronald Nesbitt, has decided to call it quits.

RONALD NESBITT, FORMER FBI AGENT: I knew that I had to make a decision while I was still relatively young, while I was attracted to the private sector and not much later in my career.

ARENA: Nesbitt, who is 52, ran the counterintelligence unit for the FBI's Washington field office. He says he was happy at work and wasn't job hunting, but got offers anyway. In the end, he says he did what was best for his family and accepted a security job with a large corporation.

NESBITT: I have two daughters that are adults, and one is graduating, one is still a sophomore in college. I have a young daughter still. So I was really looking at expenses.

ARENA: Nesbitt is just one of several top officials giving into the lure of the private sector.

Gary Ball, the top counterterrorism chief, also left recently to work in security for a cruise line. In fact, since the attacks on September 11th, at least six top counterterrorism officials have left, alarming some members of Congress.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These are critical jobs at a critical time.

ROBERT MUELLER, FBI DIRECTOR: I understand what you're saying. And it is an issue we're wrestling with.

ARENA: The FBI points out the officials who left spent decades working at the FBI and says it's well prepared to replace them.

MIKE MASON, FBI EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: We know what the dynamic is in terms of the average retirement age of senior bureau employees. And as a result, are working hard to develop the bench we need to develop.

ARENA: But according to a study requested by Congress, the high turnover at the top makes it harder for the FBI to make necessary changes. Tim Roemer was a member of the 9/11 commission.

TIM ROEMER, FORMER 9/11 COMMISSION MEMBER: When you have six managers in the counterterrorism area in five years and you don't have that experience and that leadership at the top, even when you're bringing in creative new people, you are going to have significant morale and transfer and turnover problems at the bottom.

ARENA: Nesbitt says in his case, there wasn't much the FBI could do. It came down to needing the money.

(on camera): The salary for his government position tops out at $165,000. But in the private sector, his expertise commands a whole lot more.

Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And you can catch more of Kelli's reporting on "ANDERSON COOPER 360." Watch "A.C. 360" weeknights at 10:00 Eastern, only here on CNN.

It has been nearly five years since 9/11, and we wanted to know how Americans feel about the safety now. A new CNN poll asked, is the U.S. safer from terrorism than before 9/11? Only 43 percent said yes. Thirty-two percent say they feel about as safe, and a quarter say they feel less safe.

The poll also found 54 percent think there will likely be another terrorist attack in the U.S. in the next several weeks. And more than half feel the U.S. government is not prepared to handling damage from a terrorist attack, 47 percent think it is. The poll was conducted by Opinion Research Corporation.

CNN "Security Watch" keeps you up-to-date on your safety. Stay tuned day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

###