Fbi Essay, Research Paper

Essay on The F.B.I. ————————————————————————— To uphold

the law through the investigation of violations of federal criminal law; to protect the U.S. from

foreign intelligence and terrorist activities; to provide leadership and law enforcement assistance

to federal, state, local, and international agencies; and to perform these responsibilities in a

manner that is responsive to the needs of the public and is faithful to the constitution of the U.S.:

this is the mission of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The agency now known as the Federal Bureau of Investigation was founded in 1908 when the

Attorney General appointed an unnamed force of Special Agents to be the investigative force of

the Department of Justice (DOJ). Before that time, the DOJ had to borrow Agents from the U.S.

Secret Service to investigate violations of federal criminal laws within its jurisdiction. In 1909, the

Special Agent Force was renamed the Bureau of Investigation, and after a series of name changes,

it received its present official name in 1935.

During the early period of the FBIs history, its agents investigated violations of mainly

bankruptcy frauds, antitrust crime, and neutrality violation. During World War One, the Bureau

was given the responsibility of investigating espionage, sabotage, sedition (resistance against

lawful authority), and draft violations. The passage of the National Motor Vehicle Theft Act in

1919 further broadened the Bureau’s jurisdiction.

After the passage of Prohibition in 1920, the gangster era began, bringing about a whole new type

of crime. Criminals engaged in kidnapping and bank robbery, which were not federal crimes at

that time. This changed in 1932 with the passage of a federal kidnapping statute. In 1934, many

other federal criminal statutes were passed, and Congress gave Special Agents the authority to

make arrests and to carry firearms. The FBIs size and jurisdiction during the second World War

increased greatly and included intelligence matters in South America. With the end of that war,

and the arrival of the Atomic Age, the FBI began conducting background security investigations

for the White House and other government agencies, as well as probes into internal security

matters for the executive branch of the government. In the 1960s, civil rights and organized crime

became major concerns of the FBI, and counterterrorism, drugs, financial crime, and violent

crimes in the 1970s. These are still the major concerns of the FBI, only now it is to a greater

extent.. With all of this responsibility, it is logical to say that the FBI is a field-oriented

organization. They have nine divisions and four offices at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

These divisions and offices provide direction and support services to 56 field offices and

approximately 10,100 Special Agents and 13,700 other employees. Each FBI field office is

overseen by a Special Agent in Charge, except for those located in New York City and

Washington, D.C. Due to their large size, those offices are each managed by an Assistant Director

in Charge. FBI field offices conduct their official business both directly from their headquarters

and through approximately 400 satellite offices, known as resident agencies. The FBI also

operates specialized field installations: two Regional Computer Support Centers; one in Pocatello,

Idaho, and one in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey — and two Information technology Centers

(ITCs); one at Butte, Montana, and one at Savannah, Georgia. The ITCs provide information

services to support field investigative and administrative operations. Because they do have so

much responsibility, their investigative authority is the broadest of all federal law enforcement

agencies. The FBI also stresses long term, complex investigation, emphasize close relations and

information sharing with other federal, state, local, and foreign law enforcement and intelligence

agencies. A significant number of FBI investigations are conducted with other law enforcement

agencies or as part of joint task forces. As part of this process, the FBI has divided its

investigations into the following programs: Applicant Program Department of Energy and

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Applicants Department of justice Candidates FBI Special Agents

and Support Applicants and others Civil Rights Program Civil Rights Act of 1964 Discrimination

in Housing Equal Credit Opportunity Act Counterterrorism Program Hostage taking Sabotage

Attempted of Actual Bombings and others Financial Crime Program Bank Fraud and

Embezzlement Environmental Crimes Fraud Against the Government and others Foreign

Counterintelligence Programs Espionage Foreign Counterintelligence Matters