A brief overview of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
What is the FBI?
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a branch of the Department of Justice, and the chief investigations unit of the United States of America. It operates on its own, or offers cooperative services to other investigative departments when necessary. Services the FBI provide include: training, fingerprint identification, and laboratory examinations.
What does the FBI do?
The FBI has many investigative functions, the primary being domestic and international terrorism, white-collar crime, violent crimes and major offenders, applicant matters, cyber crime, public corruption, civil rights, organized crime/drugs, and foreign counterintelligence. As one can see, the FBI has one of the broadest investigative authorities of any federal department in the USA.
How did the FBI start?
The FBI was founded in 1908 by Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte to act as an investigative force for the department of justice. The bureau is currently led by Director Christopher Wray, who was sworn in on August 2, 2017. He was appointed by the president at the time: Donald Trump. The Director can serve a term no longer than 10 years to ensure variety in the people who hold such positions of power.
Where is the FBI located?
The headquarters of the bureau is located in Washington D.C. There are a variety of field offices, residential agencies and field installations in the United States itself, and over 50 liaison offices in other countries.
Debunking Myths
There are some major myths regarding how the FBI operates that are not completely accurate. Firstly, the FBI does not ‘take over’ the cases of police officers. It creates a task force if a specific crime falls within its jurisdiction. In many television shows the FBI is portrayed as this overarching power that swoops in at the last moment and takes the credit for cases that were actually solved by the local police. This may happen in some cases, but generally the FBI and the police actually work quite cooperatively to bring cases to a close. Another myth is that the FBI prosecutes its own cases. This is false. The Bureau provides information and evidence to attorneys who then decide whether the case should be prosecuted.
How is the FBI structured?
The FBI is split into 11 divisions. There is an ‘Executive Assistant Director’ to run each of the 11 divisions. These Executive Assistant Directors report to Deputy Directors who then report to the overall Director. The 11 divisions are organized based on the type of crime they specialize in. Three examples are: the Information Technology Division, the Counterterrorism Division, and the Criminal Investigation Division. Overall, the Bureau employs over 30,000 people who work a variety of jobs from special agents to lab technicians.
J. Edgar Hoover
J. Edgar Hoover is credited with re-inventing the FBI and turning it into a well-oiled machine. In 1924, he and Attorney General Harlan Fiske Stone took control as Directors of the FBI. Within a few months most of the staff that were only there due to political favors had been fired, and new, eager, well-trained agents were brought in. Hoover also opened the renowned crime lab and the FBI academy. Hoover was not all good, however. He held the position of FBI director until his death, though many presidents had considered firing him. Upon his death, some controversial evidence was turned up including threatening letters to Martin Luther King Jr. and proof of an illegal operation that targeted ‘radical’ groups who protested the Vietnam war.
Conclusion
The FBI is one of the most powerful investigative organizations in the United States, and possibly in the world. It operates both on its own, but it also offers services to local police or investigative organizations. The Bureau was founded in 1908, but did not become effective until around 1928 when J. Edgar Hoover became Director. The FBI still operates today, from hundreds of locations across the USA and the world.
Works Cited
"What Is the FBI?" FBI.gov, www.fbi.gov/about/faqs/what-is-the-fbi. Accessed 26
Mar. 2022.
"What Are the Primary Investigative Functions of the FBI?" FBI.gov, www.fbi.gov/
about/faqs/what-are-the-primary-investigative-functions-of-the-fbi.
Accessed 26 Mar. 2022.
"Frequently Asked Questions." FBI.gov, FBI, www.fbi.gov/about/faqs. Accessed 26
Mar. 2022.
Grabianowski, Ed. "How the FBI Works." How Stuff Works, 22 May 2006,
people.howstuffworks.com/fbi.htm. Accessed 26 Mar. 2022.
Researched and written by Sarah
Published by Emmaline
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