SALDEF, FBI and Sikh Foundation of Virginia Co-sponsor Recruiting Event in Virginia

May 25, 2007

Source: Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund Press Release

http://www.saldef.org/content.aspx?a=1700&z=5&title=SALDEF,%20FBI%20and%20Sikh%20Foundation%20of%20Virginia%20Co-sponsor%20Recruiting%20Event%20in%20Virginia

Washington D.C. – May 25, 2007 – This past Sunday, May 20, 2007, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the nations oldest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization, co-sponsored an event with the Sikh Foundation of Virginia (SFV) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to increase recruitment of Sikh Americans into the Bureau.

For the past several months, SALDEF has been advocating on behalf of the community for concerted efforts to increase the recruitment of Sikh Americans into the FBI. In meetings with National FBI Headquarters, FBI Washington Field Office, and the FBI’s Personnel Recruiting Unit (PRU), Bureau representatives have told SALDEF that Sikh American youth and young professionals, including those who possess Punjabi language skills, are highly desirable to the FBI.

Speaking at the event were: Rajbir Singh Datta – Associate Director, SALDEF; Harjit Singh Chawla – Board Chairman, Sikh Foundation of Virginia; Gwendolyn Hubbard – Division Chief, FBI Personnel Resources Unit; Joseph Persichini – Assistant Director, FBI Washington field Office, Sunjeet Singh – Sikh FBI Analyst

The purpose of this pilot event was to engage with the community and gauge the effectiveness of a possible national intitiative between SALDEF and the PRU to increase recruitment and retention of Sikh Americans into the FBI as special agents and professional support staff