Albany


Albany, like each of the FBI’s local field offices, has a community outreach program that complements and strengthens our many efforts to protect you, your businesses, and your families in concrete ways through a range of activities and initiatives.

Community Outreach Program
Community Outreach Specialist Meryl Einbinder, (518) 431-7274

Our Mission

The FBI’s Community Outreach Program supports the Bureau’s investigative mission by working to address multiple interrelated societal problems—including crime, drugs, gangs, terrorism, and violence. Linking community service, prevention, and law enforcement is a national trend spurred by grass roots efforts around the country, and FBI employees have joined this movement, volunteering in a wide variety of community-related efforts.

The Albany community outreach specialist works to create and assist crime, drug, gang, terrorism, and violence prevention and education programs to meet the needs of the community. She joins other FBI personnel in making presentations, distributing resource materials, and participating in anti-crime projects with schools and civic, professional, and work-related organizations.

range.jpg
Citizen firing the Thompson
Sub-Machine gun.
The Albany Division’s outreach programs include:

FBI Citizens’ Academy
Citizens’ Academy Alumni Association
Youth Outreach Initiatives
Community Engagement Council
Director’s Community Leadership Award
Speakers Bureau
Division Tours
FBI Citizens’ Academy

The FBI Citizens’ Academy offers business, civic, religious, and community leaders within the Albany Division’s territory the opportunity to learn about the mission and resources of the FBI. Launched in 2000, this program has met with tremendous success and continues to grow in interest and impact.

The Citizens’ Academy is conducted twice yearly, with classes held on six consecutive Thursday evenings. During the Academy, participants are introduced to the structure and operation of the Albany Division, including a description and discussion of investigative techniques utilized in both criminal and foreign counterintelligence/terrorism investigations. They also learn about evidence recovery and are given a firearms demonstration.

Candidates for the FBI Citizens’ Academy must:

Live and work within the Albany Division’s territory;
Be at least 21 years of age;
Have no prior felony or serious misdemeanor convictions;
Consent to a background investigation sufficient to justify an interim security clearance; and
Have an active interest and involvement in community affairs and issues.
To apply, use our Citizens’ Academy application.

Citizens’ Academy Alumni Association

group.jpg
Citizens’ Academy Alumni Association
The Citizens’ Academy Alumni Association consists of graduates from all Albany FBI Citizens’ Academy classes and is a valuable asset to the Community Outreach Program. The association acts as an ambassador for the FBI through outreach efforts and assists each new Citizens’ Academy class. Alumni members are provided updates by FBI personnel, participate in our annual Day at the Range, and are offered opportunities to tour our training facility in Quantico, Virginia.

Community Engagement Councils

The Albany Division’s Community Engagement Councils (CECs) are compromised of community leaders with a keen interest in building partnerships, sharing cultural heritages, discussing hate and bias, reducing fear and stereotypes, and develop ideas for sharing information. Our councils meet quarterly in Albany, New York and Syracuse, New York.

Director’s Community Leadership Award

The Director’s Community Leadership Award was created in 1990 as a way for each field office to publicly recognize individuals or organizations that have made a tremendous difference in combating crime, drugs, terrorism, and violence in their communities. In Albany, we present an award annually to a deserving individual or organization in an official ceremony at our office. In addition to the local ceremony, recipients of this award are invited to meet with the Director of the FBI at a formal ceremony in Washington D.C. Our 2012 Director’s Community Leadership Award was presented to Maritza Martinez.

Speakers Bureau

The Albany FBI Division may be able to furnish a speaker to your educational, civic, or workplace-based organization.

To submit a request, you can fill in and mail our online Request a Speaker form or mail a letter to FBI Community Outreach, 200 McCarty Avenue, Albany, NY 12209.

The request must be at least four weeks prior to the date of the event, and please include the location, the date and time, and your contact information. Every effort will be made to honor such requests, although there may be occasions when investigative needs dictate otherwise.

Division Tours

Tours of the Albany Division are available for school or community groups. To submit a request, you can fill in and mail our online Request a Tour form or mail a letter to FBI Community Outreach, 200 McCarty Avenue, Albany, NY 12209. The request must be at least four weeks prior to the date you wish to take a tour, and please include your contact information. All requests are subject availability.

For More Information

FBI Albany’s Community Outreach Specialist, Meryl Einbinder, can be contacted at (518) 431-7274 or at outreach.albany@ic.fbi.gov.

Request a Tour
Request a Speaker
Citizens’ Academy Application

Recent Posts