FBI Director Kash Patel is pushing ahead with a plan to decentralize the agency’s command structure and divide the bureau into three regions. The move will mean the top agents in 52 field offices will no longer answer to the deputy director, a significant departure from the way the bureau has done business. Instead, those field offices will report to three branch directors at headquarters who will be in charge of the East, West and Central regions. The remaining three offices and the largest — New York, Washington and Los Angeles — will answer to the deputy director. “These changes are meant to empower our S.A.C.s through improved engagement and leadership connections,” said an internal email sent on Friday, referring to special agents in charge, who typically oversee field offices in a region, the New York Times reports.
It represents a shift after a quarter-century of an FBI run under a structure formed by Robert Mueller after the Sept. 11 attacks. The model was established to address administrative lapses and bolster efforts to deter terrorism Patel has appointed five branch directors, eliminating the executive assistant directors who previously managed the bureau on a daily basis. Patel has moved to reduce the number of employees working at headquarters and push them into the field, making good on a pledge he made before becoming director. The swift decision to alter the hierarchy comes just weeks after Patel was confirmed, raising questions among former and current agents about the thoroughness of the plan. In particular, they said, they worried that the changes could result in less coordination between field offices and create intelligence gaps. Former senior executives skeptical of Patel’s leadership and lack of experience believe the new model, while imperfect, could be an improvement and certainly reduce the deputy director’s immense responsibilities.
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