Within the Department of Justice, Special Agents are employed within the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and assigned to one of the following field offices: Appleton, Eau Claire, Madison, Milwaukee, Superior, or Wausau.  Special Agents are sworn law enforcement officers who provide assistance to local law enforcement agencies and investigate crimes of statewide importance and/or those that require highly specialized investigative resources. 

Job Duties:

Special Agents carry firearms and conduct criminal investigations; perform undercover investigations and surveillance operations; execute search warrants; make arrests; prepare evidence and testify in court; process crime scenes; interview witnesses and interrogate suspects; maintain records and prepare reports; participate on teams; adapt and react to diverse situations; function in high stress situations.  Special Agents may be assigned to any of the following units:

Arson - investigate fires of a suspected incendiary nature, explosions of criminal origin and fires involving loss of life.

Financial Crimes - investigate complaints regarding embezzlement, securities fraud, identity theft and criminal anti-trust matters.
Gaming - investigations are related to pari-mutuel racing, the state lottery, Indian gaming, charitable gaming, bingo and illegal gambling.
Technical Services - provide specialized investigative services to other areas of DCI and law enforcement agencies statewide.  Functional areas include: intelligence analysis, covert surveillance. 
Internet Crimes Against Children - investigate crimes against children, facilitated by technology.
Narcotics - conduct high-level drug trafficking investigations through independent investigations along with other agencies.
Public Integrity - investigate criminal violations by public employees or government entities, including public records and open meeting violations.
Violent Crimes - investigate homicides, organized crime and other significant criminal cases of statewide interest.
Cyber - investigate cyber crime activity and coordinate with organizations regarding cyber security incidents. 

Special Agents may be subject to strenuous physical activity and/or adverse environmental conditions.  Each Special Agent is armed with a handgun and handcuffs.  Special Agents occasionally wear ballistic vests and may also utilize law enforcement equipment such as rifles, shotguns, batons, or electronic control devices.

Special Agents work a varied schedule that may require night, weekend and holiday hours.  Work assignments may require overnight stays and work during off hours, and may require response to assignments on short notice.

Special Agent Qualifications:

The Division of Criminal Investigation is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer, seeking a diverse work force and actively recruiting women and racial/ethnic minority applicants. Although each time we recruit we review our requirements, the current minimum qualifications include the following:

• Applicants must meet WI Law Enforcement Standards Board requirements, which include a thorough character and background investigation, drug screening, physical examination and psychological testing.
• Be at least 21 years of age upon appointment.
• Possess/be eligible to possess a Wisconsin driver's license upon appointment.
• Have no unpardoned felony convictions or convictions of domestic violence offenses.
• Be law enforcement-certified in the state of Wisconsin OR be eligible to take the reciprocity examination.
• Be free of Brady or Giglio obligations for testimony in court
• Some positions may have additional requirements

Position Information:

A large number of people are interested and apply for Special Agent positions. However, only a few individuals are offered positions, as the Department of Justice is very selective in the hiring process. We are looking for individuals who possess the qualities that are necessary to be a good Special Agent. Previous successful candidates have had life experiences (e.g., education, employment) that showed responsibility, maturity and effective interpersonal communications.

All Special Agents are provided with a state-owned vehicle for business use. No uniform is required. Other necessary equipment is provided by the state.

To view current vacancies at the Wisconsin Department of Justice please visit wisc.jobs.  For more information regarding DOJ's fringe benefits, view the Employee Trust Funds Website.