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SPECIAL AGENT, CUSTOMS
Applicants for this position must be U.S. citizens under the age of 37 and must be willing to accept
assignment anywhere within the Customs territory of the United States. An applicant should be a college
graduate, preferably with a degree in police science, law, or business administration specialties such as
accounting, economics, or finance. In addition, each candidate must have at least two years of specialized
criminal investigative or related work experience. This work background must demonstrate the individual's
ability to exercise tact, judgment, and resourcefulness; interpersonal skills; and proficiency in analyzing
and evaluating data and evidence. Relevant work experience may be substituted for college training at
the rate of one scholastic year for nine months of experience. All candidates must also attain a qualifying
grade on the Treasury Enforcement Agent Examination, which is designed to measure investigative
skills.
All applicants must pass a rigid physical examination, must be capable of strenuous physical activity,
must have excellent hearing and eyesight and normal color vision, and must be free of any disabilities that
would interfere with training and work performance. In short, the applicant must be in excellent physical
condition with good muscular development. Minimum standards include distant vision of at least 20/40
in one eye and 20/100 in the other without glasses, correctable to at least 20/20 in one eye and 20/30 in
the other with glasses, and good near vision and color and depth perception. Persons with a hearing aid
or with noticeable deformities or disfiguring conditions should not apply. Finally, each candidate must
pass a thorough personal background investigation. Those who meet all the various requirements receive
about 11 weeks of basic law enforcement training at the Treasury Agents' School in Glynco, Georgia.
This consists of extensive training in the use of firearms, undercover operations, surveillance techniques,
rules of evidence and courtroom procedures, Customs laws and regulations, and current law enforcement
and investigative techniques. After successful completion of training, appointments are made on a
probationary basis. New Agents work with experienced Agents and are guided by supervisory personnel
who assist in the development of work skills. After satisfactory completion of probation, usually one year,
new Agents receive permanent employment status as Special Agent, U.S. Customs.
U.S. PARK POLICE OFFICER
A candidate for this position must be a U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age but not yet 31 (though this may
be raised to 35 in the near future). He or she must be a high school graduate with at least two years of
relevant work experience, military service, or college study.
To qualify, the candidate must earn a competitive score on a two-hour written exam that tests
mathematics, reading and grammar skills, and incident-report writing ability. The candidate must have
at least 20/100 vision correctable to 20/20 and must undergo and pass physical fitness and medical testing,
drug screening, and a background check.
Final appointment is contingent upon passing an 18-week training course in standard law enforcement,
proper use of firearms, and so on, at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center near Glynco, Georgia.
DEPUTY U.S. MARSHAL
Applicants for the job of Deputy U.S. Marshal must be U.S. citizens between the ages of 21 and 37 at the
time of appointment. All candidates must have a minimum of three years of general work experience in
one of the following areas: law enforcement; supervision of criminal offenders in a correctional
institution; sales or instructional activities other than order taking or counter sales; interviewing clients
in public or private agencies and explaining, interpreting, and applying regulations and procedures; public
