FBI Sees Record Surge in Agent Applications During Kash Patel’s First Month as Leader
EXCLUSIVE: The FBI saw an unprecedented number of new agent applications. Director Kash Patel’s In his first full month heading the bureau, the number of law enforcement applicants almost doubled compared to the typical monthly average seen since 2016.
There were 5,577 new FBI agent Applications that were submitted in March have been revealed by Fox News Digital.
The previous time the bureau experienced a monthly count this high was back in April 2016, when they received 5,283 applications.
In contrast, the monthly average for 2023 stood at 2,797 applications, whereas in 2024 this figure rose to an average of 3,383 applications each month, as reported by Fox News Digital based on FBI statistics.
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"Director Patel And Deputy Director Dan Bongino has prioritized rebuilding trust in federal law enforcement and increasing the recruitment of new agents,” FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson stated to Fox News Digital on Wednesday. “These unprecedented initial results indicate that the newly oriented FBI is moving in the correct direction.”
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As of January, the FBI has received over 10,000 fresh applications for special agents, as indicated by official FBI statistics.
In January, during the initial month of the Trump administration as well as the period when Patel was nominated and underwent her confirmation hearings, the FBI recorded 4,143 applications for individuals seeking to join their ranks—the first instance where the number of new agent applicants surpassed 4,000 since August 2020.
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The unprecedented surge in FBI job applications during March indicates that individuals are motivated by Kash Patel’s dedication to reinstating honesty and efficiency within the agency,” stated Erica Knight, an adviser for Patel, to Fox News Digital on Wednesday. “Citizens are demonstrating faith in his guidance to revitalize the FBI and ensure the safety of our neighborhoods.”
And, Knight informed Fox News Digital, “this is merely the start.”
Knight stated, "Kash is committed to building a more robust and trustworthy FBI that fulfills its original mission of serving the American people."
At his Senate confirmation hearings in late January, Patel highlighted the "deterioration of confidence" within the agency, citing polls showing that merely 40% of Americans have a positive opinion of the FBI.

Things have got to change," Patel stated under oath. "The public’s support is crucial for us to crack cases, but our waning credibility is starting to impact our ability to attract new talent.
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The unprecedented surge in new agent applications coincides with Patel and Bongino placing significant focus on attracting new recruits for law enforcement and boosting officer morale by supporting the idea of allowing competent police officers to perform their duties without undue interference.
In March, Patel released an FBI recruitment video , featuring scenes of the director in the field alongside agents and showcasing clips from the hostage rescue team facility, encouraging viewers to sign up for the team.

The video concludes with an image of the FBI seal accompanied by the text: "A fresh mission. A more resilient tomorrow."
The video states, 'Apply now at FBIJobs.gov,'
Patel and Bongino have also privately stressed to their teams the significance of increasing community involvement with partners.
Informants close to the situation have disclosed to Fox News Digital that Patel has directed his team to provide complete and absolute backing to the families of deceased officers. Meanwhile, Bongino has individually contacted and met with the law enforcement agents working at the FBI field offices to express gratitude for their efforts which frequently go unrecognized.
Our group will keep attracting top talent from the nation’s law enforcement sector," Williamson stated to Fox News Digital. "We aim to witness an increasing number of courageous individuals eager to join our initiative.
Original article source: The FBI received a record number of new agent applications during Kash Patel's inaugural month as head of the bureau.