California Department of Justice Special Agents

Special Agents of the California Department of Justice represent an elite corps of law enforcement officers with a broad range of duties and jurisdiction. Department of Justice Special Agents handle cases in which multiple local jurisdictions are involved or in which the complexity of the crime is outside the scope of resources available to local law enforcement. Types of cases worked by Department of Justice Special Agents include, but are not limited to, drug trafficking, money laundering, violent gang suppression, dismantling illegal drug labs, fugitive apprehension, child abductions, and violations of gambling laws.

The salary of a California Department of Justice Special Agent can range from $3,740 for entry level candidates to $7,341 for senior members of the organization. Those considering a career as a California Department of Justice Special Agent need keep in mind that the job can be somewhat more stressful than local police work because of the fact that many agents report having been away from their homes and families for weeks at a time while working on a case.

Three hiring tracks exist for the potential candidate to meet the minimum qualifications for appointment as a Special Agent. Candidates can meet the requirements after spending one year's time as a "Special Agent Trainee" with the California Department of Justice, OR two years of investigative peace officer experience in the State of California and completion of 60 semester units of college, OR one year of investigative peace officer experience in the State of California and graduation from a four year college or university.

California Department of Justice Special Agents are fully certified peace officers in the State of California. Individual Special Agents may find themselves working alone in an undercover capacity to bring down a criminal enterprise or as a member of a specially trained response team raiding locations suspected of being involved in criminal enterprises. Special Agents also get the chance to network with a wide range of other law enforcement officers at all levels of jurisdictions because the California Department of Justice works to coordinate efforts between local, state, and federal investigators when major crimes occur in California.

California Department of Justice Special Agents do not operate in marked police vehicles in an attempt to maintain a low profile presence. Because of this fact, most agents work day to day investigations in civilian business attire. Uniforms are usually only worn during raids/planned apprehensions or during special ceremonial events.

The job of a California Department of Justice Special Agent is by no means easy, but the level of difficulty is made up for with a sense of doing what can be done to protect the citizens of California.

Sources:

Who We Are. Office of the Attorney General.

Special Agent Department of Justice. Career Opportunities.