NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Although FBI agents have historically been predominately men, the number of women agents in the bureau is growing, and there’s even more women working behind the scenes to keep the office running.
Even though the number of female agents is growing, the women who support the mission would like to see it grow more. They said women bring a different perspective and they’re more detail oriented, which helps during investigations.
“I just think we bring a different perspective, and we can come at it from a different angle sometimes,” Special Agent Stacey Sullivan said.
Sullivan manages a violent crimes task force for FBI Norfolk, handling cases involving crimes against children, human trafficking, and managing the SWAT and evidence response teams. She said she became a special agent because she was always interested in psychology and profiling serial killer behavior.
Sullivan was one of nine women in her Quantico class of 50 people.
“We had a strong group of women with all different types of backgrounds,” Sullivan said. “Some were former military, some were prior law enforcement. We had a stay at home mom that came back for another career.”
Women are training the same way as their male counterparts, being held to the same standards and even bringing that element of surprise. Having women in the field can also help agents seem more approachable, especially if they are showing up at someone’s house.
“They see like a woman and a man there,” Sullivan said. “That guard might be a little bit down versus two men coming to the door, so I think women kind of change that perspective a little bit.”
Emily Lincoln works as an intelligence analyst, fielding complaints that come in from the public.
“We get complaints like for health care fraud,” Lincoln said. “We may get a complaint from a hospital, or from someone that works at a doctor’s office and then we look further into that.”
Lincoln worked the case involving 71-year-old Javaid Perwaiz. A former Chesapeake doctor convicted on 52 counts of health care fraud performing surgeries and procedures that were not medically necessary for his patients.
“Because we are a federal agency, Medicare falls under our purview,” Lincoln said. “So I reviewed all the billing for that doctor to look for anomalies which could indicate potential fraud.”
Lincoln doesn’t carry a badge and gun like the agents do, but instead works to figure out who they should be looking at.
“I get down into the weeds, I identify who the criminals are or who the potential criminals are, and then they go out and do the arrests, the searches, that kind of thing,” Lincoln said.
Women actually make up the majority when it comes to Intelligence Analysts in the Bureau, coming in at 58.9%.
Right now, around 23.5% of special agents are women, compared to just 20% in 2020. This compares to the 58.4% of the FBI’s Professional Staff who are women.
Administrative Officer Sonya Triggs-Wharton supervises staff who aren’t investigative, but support the mission overall.
“Our main mission is always to put the bad guys in jail, help prevent terrorist attacks and keep people safe,” said Triggs-Wharton. “And if you want to feel like you are a part of something bigger than yourself, then just apply. I got in at 18 with a high school diploma, there’s opportunity for everyone.”
Triggs-Wharton said thar when she started in 1990, women made up about 50% of professional staff, and she’s proud to see that number increasing. She’s also proud to see more women in leadership.
“Statistically, we are getting better and I can see a lot more representation now,” said Triggs-Wharton. “There are a lot more people who look like me.”
She said not only do women provide diversity in thinking, they’re more detail oriented.
“I’m very proud to see more representation and inclusion,” said Triggs-Wharton. “I think it’s only a win for us, we have to look like the population we serve.”
Women are helping to fill positions in the bureau in finance, communications, and even in Human Resources, like Alicia Boone.
“Just to walk by someone that looks like you, that’s the same gender as you, leaves you empowered,” said Boone.
Women were first allowed to become special agents in 1972, and with the FBI being founded in 1908, it took a long time for women to be accepted in this role.
FBI Norfolk is also the only office with two women SWAT Team Members. There’s only about a dozen women SWAT team members in total across the country, and no other office has more than one.
Making strides, but still leaving hope for that number to grow in the future.
“You think of an FBI agent, you think of a male with a suit and a badge and a gun, and I think that that stereotype is becoming less and less,” said Lincoln. “Hopefully, by the time I retire in another 18 years, the numbers will be pretty even.”
Providing opportunity for everyone, everywhere around the globe.
“I think there’s opportunity for everybody and I say that and I mean that, I’ve had like 11 different jobs, Detroit, D.C., Quantico and here,” said Triggs-Wharton. “There is room for us if we make a way and challenge ourselves to do better.”
FBI Norfolk is hosting a diverse special agent recruitment event in May that they’re encouraging women to attend.
Interested candidates can “apply” to the event, as well as other jobs, on FBIJobs.gov.
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.
