People who are interested in law enforcement careers may do well to explore opportunities fighting financial crimes, especially in light of recently-introduced congressional legislation. In January, Democratic senator Charles Schumer and Republican senator Richard Shelby introduced a bill to add hundreds of investigators and prosecutors to the financial fraud units at various top law enforcement agencies such as the FBI and Securities and Exchange Commission. The need for increased financial law enforcement has become apparent in recent weeks as a parade of Ponzi schemes and other forms of fraud, led by the Bernard Madoff scandal, have continued to make news. "When a wave of violent crime sweeps through a city, the immediate response is to beef up the police forces, putting more cops on the beat, extending overtime, and making sure the city returns to safety," said Schumer, chair of the Banking Committee, in a recent statement. He went on to declare that the reaction to upcoming "massive and complex" financial fraud inquiries should be just as aggressive. The senators are seeking $110 million per year to fund the new financial law enforcement positions. Even before people like Madoff became a household name, the Bureau of Labor Statistics was predicting increased demand for law enforcement professionals who specialize in fighting new kinds of crime involving things like finance and computers.  |