I have been supportive of FBI Director Kash Patel’s efforts to reform the bureau, but his latest proposal — lowering recruiting standards for new agents — may be a bridge too far.

Waiving the long-standing requirement that new agents possess a college degree is not just lowering the bar — it risks damaging both the bureau’s effectiveness and its reputation. As the New York Times recently reported, the plan appears to be part of a broader effort to shift the FBI’s focus from countering national security threats to more traditional crime-fighting. That is not only short-sighted but dangerously impulsive.

During my 28-year career there, and beyond, the FBI was regarded as the world’s premier law enforcement agency. It set itself apart by recruiting men and women with advanced skills, intellect, integrity and judgment.

Eliminating those standards would inevitably create two classes of agents. Veteran agents who meet the traditional requirements would view those hired under relaxed standards as operating in a different league altogether. Such a division would corrode morale and undermine teamwork.

Reducing new-agent training at the FBI Academy from 18 weeks to eight would only widen the disparity of knowledge and competence. How is a supervisor to assign cases when some agents are trained professionals with proven qualifications and others lack both the education and the foundational skills that the bureau has historically required?

Once the bureau........

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