This inevitably causes friction among agencies which impedes their cooperation in important crimefighting efforts. It has also made it increasingly difficult for Federal law enforcement agencies to recruit and retain qualified personnelespecially in parts of the country where Federal officers salaries are less than half that of their State and local counterparts. I would imagine that most of my colleagues would be as shocked and amazed as I was to learn that the vast majority of our Federal law enforcement officersmen and women who are called upon each day to risk injury or death in agencies such as the Border Patrol. the U.S. Marshals Service. the Bureau of Alcohol and Firearms. and the Customs Service. to mention only a feware paid a starting salary of only $14.822 a year I ask my colleagues to consider how these young officers must struggle just to subsist on such wages. particularly in high costofliving areas. Adding insult to injury. these same new recruits are required to pay their own travel expenses to their first duty stationswhich may be across the country from where they are living at the time of appointment.
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