SAN ANTONIO — NCIS (the Naval Criminal Investigative Service) needs more Hispanic recruits to better serve communities across the country. That's why agency recruiters joined a law enforcement symposium downtown this week in order to get more people interested in joining.
"The reason for coming back to San Antonio, it is a major hub for Hispanics," NCIS Special Agent Melvin Ramos said.
The recruiting effort was part of the larger Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association (HAPCOA) National Law Enforcement Training Symposium that's happening from Monday through Thursday this week at Hotel Valencia Riverwalk.
NCIS is the designated criminal investigation division for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. (Yes, it's the same NCIS as the popular show.)
"If anything is reported regarding any entity that touches the department of the Navy or the Marine Corps; people, information, infrastructure; NCIS will get involved," Supervisory Special Agent Erika Mariner said. "Homicides, thefts, all the way to counter terrorism and major economic crimes."
Mariner said NCIS needs people from a diverse background that "problem solve and step outside their comfort zone." That very much includes a need for Hispanic agents. Mariner serves at the San Diego Field Office where there is a significant Hispanic community in the nearby area. That means they need people that can communicate, and relate, to their community.
"We want to be able to sit down with them (community members) and for them to realize that this is somebody who understands me. This is somebody that is going to want to help me and that I can relate too," Mariner said.
Sometimes this is as simple as finding someone who can speak Spanish in the field but Mariner said they need Hispanic agents in Intelligence, Counter-terrorism, Cyber-Security, and other fields as well. She also said both men and women are needed in the agency.
"Women may think they don't have a place in federal law enforcement but I can say, in my office in San Diego, the majority of the general crimes agents are women and they are amazing," Mariner said.
The agents told KENS 5 NCIS accepts people with both previous law enforcement experience and people right out of college. NCIS has 180 locations worldwide, and agents will likely travel to new and different areas of the U.S. or even different stations across the world.
"If you have a desire to see the world, to have adventures, to meet amazing people, and to work interesting cases, NCIS is the place for you," Mariner said.
The real job is, of course, not like the TV show but Special Agent Melvin Ramos said it absolutely provides an opportunity to serve communities across the country.
"I think the biggest thing that the show omits in the paperwork. Cases have to be made and to make cases you have to follow the action with good paperwork for court," Ramos said.
He also said there is a lot less gunfire in real life. Still, Ramos said the real job is just as interesting.
"There is nothing that compares to the real thing, which is true investigative work," Ramos said. "Is is also to be a voice for victims. That right there is, to me, inspiring and is what led me to have a 23 year career thus far."