DEA ON LOOKOUT FOR SAVVY WOMEN

Recruiter Emphasizes the Value of Brains Over Brawn

A federal drug agent gets a badge, and is trained to shoot, kick in
doors and slap on handcuffs.

Often though, it is the smarter agent, not the stronger one, who
catches the bad guy.

"It is brains, not just brawn," said Violet Szeleczky, a senior Drug
Enforcement Administration agent based in Houston. "You have to be
able to put two and two together," she said of the twists an
investigation takes.

Szeleczky, who oversees the recruiting squad in this region, is
hoping to get that message across in order to boost the number of
women who might otherwise shy away from a career with the DEA, which
is 91 percent male.

It is a disparity not unlike those among the ranks of the Houston
Police Department, the Marine Corps and other outfits also trying to
extend their appeal to female recruits.

The HPD, which is 86 percent male, recently unveiled advertising that
features images of female officers and testimonials posted on the Web.

"In my entire life, I have never felt more purposeful and elated
every time I wake up to start a new day," says Anna Swanson, a new
officer who was the leader of her HPD Academy class. "I have never
been so happy and healthy as I am now and full of direction and purpose."

Swanson tells visitors to the department's Web site that she feels
comfortable on the job.

"I pull my hair back in a tight ponytail, braid it and roll it up
into a bun," she says in her testimonial. "I fasten my vest on over
my black undershirt and put on my blue uniform adorned with my new HPD badge."

Sgt. D.V. Barfield, of the HPD recruiting unit, said a concerted
effort to attract women seems to be yielding results.

Female Applicants

During the current fiscal year, 903 of 4,460 HPD applicants have been
female, Barfield said.

"There is really not an area that we won't venture out into to
recruit women," said Barfield, who added that officers set up a booth
near the finish of the 2008 Komen Houston Race for the Cure, a
running event to combat breast cancer.

Larry Karson, a University of Houston criminal justice lecturer and
retired U.S. Customs Service agent, said bringing more women into law
enforcement isn't about meeting quotas, but rather improving the
ability of agencies and departments to do their jobs.

"You want to have your enforcement to be a reflection of the
community you are enforcing your laws with," he said.

"It is kind of like saying we don't need any blacks or
Mexican-Americans," Karson continued. "Not only should they be part
of the department, they have a right for an opportunity to be part of
the department."

The answer for why there aren't more women in the ranks is
complicated. Stereotypes, the agency's willingness to provide mentors
and institutional support all are factors.

Time in the Streets

Enforcing the law is not all about wild chases, shootouts and
wrestling people in the streets, Karson said.

"You watch TV at night, and that is what you are seeing," he said.
"You don't see anyone doing paperwork; you don't see them doing
interviews or extensive, long-term investigations."

Szeleczky said all DEA agents spend time in the streets, but there
are career paths that are more analytical and behind the scenes.

"We are looking for a woman that is physically fit and able to keep
up with the guys when they are kicking down doors, sitting on
surveillance and arresting bad guys," she said. "We are also
involved, just like men, in investigations that involve our
analytical ability."

There is also plenty of time spent gathering and analyzing
information, to figure out how criminal organizations try to sneak
drugs and cash past law enforcement.

Szelecky said that while she was undercover years ago, a duffle bag
stuffed with $500,000 was so heavy she couldn't carry it up a flight
of stairs, but there have also been times when she's gained more
information than male agents.

"Bad guys have a tendency to shoot their mouths off in front of
women," she said.