Mr.
Schiff: Hi, welcome to "FBI 100, A Closer
Look." I'm Neal Schiff of the Bureau's Office
of Public Affairs along with FBI Historian Dr.
John Fox. FBI Special Agents have not always carried
weapons. John, when were agents given the OK to
have weapons and what precipitated the decision?
Dr.
Fox: "Well Neal agents were given the authority
to carry weapons under the federal law in 1934.
Of course before that they sometimes carried them;
it depended on the local laws; it depended on
the permission of the Special Agent in Charge
(of FBI field offices) and certainly as the 1930s
progressed, agents began carrying firearms more
and more. We lost our first agent in 1925, and
by 1933, we were facing serious threats from the
gangsters. So our agents needed to carry guns
to protect themselves."
Mr. Schiff: What kind of guns did FBI Agents
have in those early days?
Dr. Fox: "Before the 1934 law was passed,
agents carried whatever firearm they were comfortable
with. But with the 1934 law, the Bureau was able
to start supplying the standard of firearms to
the agents: Smith and Wessons; Colts. Over the
years those guns would change. As the technology
progressed, as the criminals got more firepower,
our agents had to keep up with them."
Mr.
Schiff: John,
what are our agents carrying today?
Dr.
Fox: "Today we're carrying a Glock pistol
that shoots a .40 caliber bullet. It's one of
the more powerful and more reliable handguns that
are out there today. And it does the job that
we need it to do. If we have to stop a criminal
from either threatening the lives of our agents
or other persons, then we need to stop them."
Mr.
Schiff: And
every agent has to qualify for accuracy, often,
during their career, right?
Dr.
Fox: "Besides the extensive training they
receive at Quantico, they have to qualify quarterly
on their firearm to show that they are proficient
in its use."
Mr.
Schiff: From
the FBI's Public Affairs office, along with Bureau
Historian Dr. John Fox, I'm Neal Schiff with "FBI
100, A Closer Look."
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