see also: in October 2002:   Alleged Colombian Heroin Distributor Arrested in Chicago; Among 25 Charged in Operation Smackdown Led by Customs Agents   U.S. Customs Publishes Final Regulations to Require Advance Shipping Information   Customs Agent is Presented the Presidential Council on Integrity and Efficiency Award   U.S. Customs Inspectors Seize $7.6 Million in Cocaine at Hidalgo/Pharr in Five Days   More Than 300 Registered for Customs Trade Symposium 2002   Wang Pleads Guilty to Bribery, Smuggling in Export Scheme Involving Chinese Textiles   China Joins the U.S. in Container Security Initiative ...more

contacts for this news release

WASHINGTON, D.C.-The U.S. Customs Service today announced that it has exceeded its hiring goals for Fiscal Year 2002, adding 2,300 new inspectors, canine enforcement officers (CEO), and criminal investigators (agents) to its workforce in the fiscal year that ended September 30. The 2,300 new hires represent more than double the average number of new hires by U.S. Customs in a given year.

Because Customs has met its staffing goals this past fiscal year, most Customs employees who were sent to the Northern border for temporary duty after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 will be able to return to their regular duty stations by December 1, 2002. In addition, the success of Customs hiring has allowed all National Guard personnel that were deployed to the Northern border under Title 10 to end their assignments on September 26.

U.S. Customs typically hires about 1,000 employees annually for a variety of occupations. Advanced planning is the key to meeting the agency's strategic recruitment goals. Customs Office of Human Resources Management oversees this process and uses a multi-hurdle quality recruitment program to select the best and brightest from the candidate pool. To fill the 2,300 positions, Customs received more than 40,000 applications. Open houses and job fairs also generated a large response, with hundreds of candidates applying.

"This agency's ability to attract, and retain quality employees speaks volumes about the U.S. Customs Service," said Commissioner Robert C. Bonner. "Only one of every 20 applicants were hired by the Customs Service. So, even through we substantially increased the number of people we hired last year, Customs was able to maintain the rigorous standards we have set for new hires."

Given the increased staffing needs, particularly in remote northern border locations, Customs was able to accelerate the inspector hiring process. The collateral-duty national recruiters from the Office of Field Operations and Office of Investigations worked to speed the hiring process by implementing the "same-day hiring" program for the career intern program.

A new national recruitment announcement for Customs Inspector and Canine Enforcement Officer opens October 18, 2002. Details on how to apply are located on our web site under careers at http://www.customs.gov/career/career.htm. It is anticipated that 1,300 additional inspectors and 360 criminal investigators will be hired in FY 2003.