What
is the FBI?
The
FBI is the principal investigative arm of the United
States Department of Justice. It has the authority
and responsibility to investigate specific crimes assigned
to it. The FBI also is authorized to provide other
law enforcement agencies with cooperative services,
such as fingerprint identification, laboratory examinations,
and police training.
What
is the mission of the FBI?
The mission of the FBI is to uphold the law through the investigation of violations
of federal criminal law; to protect the United States 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 United States.
When
was the FBI founded?
On July 26, 1908,
then-Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte appointed an unnamed force of
Special Agents to be the investigative force of the Department of Justice.
The FBI evolved from this small group.
Who
is the head of the FBI?
The FBI is headed
by a Director who is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate
for a term not to exceed ten years. The current Director of the FBI is Robert
S. Mueller, III.
How
is the FBI organized?
The FBI is headquartered
in Washington D.C. The offices and divisions at
FBI Headquarters provide program direction and support to 56 field offices,
approximately 400 satellite offices known as resident agencies, four specialized
field installations, and over 45 foreign liaison posts known as Legal Attaches.
How
many people are employed by the FBI?
As of September
30, 2004, the FBI had approximately 12,300 special agents and 16,600 professional
support personnel.
Is
the FBI a type of national police force?
No. The
FBI is an investigative component of the United States Department of Justice.
It is one of 32 federal agencies with law enforcement responsibilities.
How
accurately is the FBI portrayed in books, television
shows, and motion pictures?
Any author, television script writer, or producer may consult
with the FBI about closed cases or our operations, services, or history.
However, there is no requirement that they do so, and the FBI does not edit
or approve their work. Some authors, television programs, or motion picture
producers offer reasonably accurate presentations of our responsibilities,
investigations, and procedures in their story lines, while others present
their own interpretations or introduce fictional events, persons, or places
for dramatic effect.
|
FBI Conducting Investigations
|
What
are the primary investigative functions of the FBI?
The FBI's mandate,
the broadest of all federal investigative agencies, authorizes it to investigate
all federal criminal violations that have not been specifically assigned by
Congress to another federal agency. The FBI's investigative functions fall
into the categories of applicant matters; civil rights; counterterrorism; foreign
counterintelligence; organized crime/drugs; violent crimes and major offenders;
and financial crime.
Where is the FBI's authority written down?
The powers of the FBI are derived from congressional statutes. Title 28, United
States Code, Section 533, authorizes the Attorney General to appoint officials
to detect and prosecute crimes against the United States. Title 18, United States
Code, Section 3052, specifically authorizes Special Agents and officials of the
FBI to make arrests, carry firearms, and serve warrants. Title 18, United States
Code, Section 3107, empowers Special Agents and officials to make seizures under
warrant for violation of federal statutes. The FBI's authority to investigate
specific criminal violations is conferred by numerous other congressional statutes.
In addition, Title 28, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 0.85, outlines the
investigative and other responsibilities of the FBI, including the collection
of fingerprint cards and identification records; the training of state and local
law enforcement officials at the FBI National Academy; and the operation of the
National Crime Information Center and the FBI Laboratory.
Then the FBI actually must work through U. S. Attorneys?
Yes. Although the FBI is responsible for investigating possible violations of
federal law, the FBI does not give an opinion or decide if an individual will
be prosecuted. The federal prosecutors employed by the Department of Justice
or the U.S. Attorneys offices are responsible for making this decision and for
conducting the prosecution of the case.
What
does the FBI do with information and evidence gathered
during an investigation?
If a possible
violation of federal law under the jurisdiction of the FBI has occurred,
the FBI will conduct an investigation. The information and evidence gathered
in the course of that investigation are then presented to the appropriate
U.S. Attorney or Department of Justice official who will determine whether
or not prosecution or further action is warranted. Depending on the outcome
of the investigation, evidence is either returned or retained for court.
What does the FBI do with persons it arrests in the course
of an investigation?
A person arrested by the FBI is taken into custody and photographed and fingerprinted.
In addition, an attempt often is made to obtain a voluntary statement from
the arrestee. The arrestee remains in FBI custody until the initial court appearance,
which must take place without unnecessary delay.
What
authority do FBI Special Agents have to make arrests
in the United States, its territories, or on foreign
soil?
In the United
States and its territories, FBI Special Agents may make arrests for any federal
offense committed in their presence or when they have reasonable grounds
to believe that the person to be arrested has committed, or is committing,
a felony violation of U.S. laws. Concerning arrests on foreign soil, FBI
Special Agents generally do not have authority outside the United States
except in certain cases where, with the consent of the host country, Congress
has granted the FBI extraterritorial jurisdiction.
Are
FBI Special Agents permitted to install wiretaps at
their own discretion?
No. Wiretapping
is one of the FBI's most sensitive techniques and is strictly controlled
by federal statutes. It is used infrequently and then only to combat the
most serious crimes and terrorism. Title 18, United States Code, Section
2516, contains the protocol requiring all law enforcement officers to establish
probable cause that the wiretaps may provide evidence of a felony violation
of federal law. After determining if a sufficient showing of probable cause
has been made, impartial federal judges approve or disapprove wiretaps. The
approving judge then must continue to monitor how the wiretap is being conducted.
Wiretapping without meeting these stringent requirements and obtaining the
necessary court orders is a serious felony under the law.
What
is the FBI's policy on the use of deadly force by its
Special Agents?
FBI Special Agents
may use deadly force only when necessary--when the Special Agent has a reasonable
belief that the subject of such force poses an imminent danger of death or
serious physical injury to the Special Agent or another person. If feasible,
a verbal warning to submit to the authority of the Special Agent shall be
given prior to the use of deadly force.
If
a crime is committed that is a violation of local,
state, and federal laws, does the FBI "take over" the
investigation?
No. State and
local law enforcement agencies are not subordinate to the FBI, and the FBI
does not supervise or usurp their investigations. However, through cooperation,
the investigative resources of the FBI and state and local agencies often
are pooled in a common effort to investigate and solve the cases. In fact,
many task forces composed of FBI Special Agents and state and local officers
have been formed to locate fugitives and to address serious, recurring crime
such as terrorism and street violence.
If
an individual is being sought by local police for committing
a crime, what assistance can the FBI render to locate
the fugitive?
A "stop" will
be placed against the fugitive's fingerprints in the FBI's Criminal Justice
Information Services Division. Local police will be notified immediately
upon the receipt of any additional fingerprints of the fugitive. The fugitive's
name and identifying data also will be entered into the National Crime Information
Center, a computerized database that is accessible to law enforcement agencies
nationwide. Any agency that subsequently inquires about this individual will
be informed of his or her fugitive status. In addition, the FBI may obtain
a federal arrest warrant and thereafter attempt to locate an individual who
flees prosecution or confinement if there is reason to believe the person
has traveled across a state line or left the country.
If a child is missing and possibly kidnapped, but no interstate transportation
is known, will the FBI begin an investigation?
Yes. The FBI will initiate a kidnapping investigation involving a missing child "of
tender years" even though there is no known interstate aspect. “Tender
years” is generally defined as a child twelve years or younger. The FBI will
monitor other kidnapping situations when there is no evidence of interstate
travel, and it offers assistance from various entities including the FBI Laboratory.
What is the FBI's policy on the use of informants?
The courts have recognized that the government's use of informants is lawful
and often essential to the effectiveness of properly authorized law enforcement
investigations. However, use of informants to assist in the investigation of
criminal activity may involve an element of deception, intrusion into the privacy
of individuals, or cooperation with persons whose reliability and motivation
may be open to question. Although it is legally permissible for the FBI to
use informants in its investigations, special care is taken to carefully evaluate
and closely supervise their use so the rights of individuals under investigation
are not infringed. The FBI can only use informants consistent with specific
guidelines issued by the Attorney General that control the use of informants.
Are informants regular employees of the FBI?
No. Informants are individuals who supply information to the FBI on a confidential
basis. They are not hired or trained employees of the FBI, although they may
receive compensation in some instances for their information and expenses.
If a citizen gives information about a potential crime to the FBI
and there is a question as to whether a federal violation has occurred, who
in the government decides?
The FBI may conduct an investigation in order to obtain sufficient
facts concerning the allegation. If there is a question as to whether or
not a federal violation has occurred, the FBI consults with the United States
Attorney's office in the district where the alleged offense took place.
How
much time and money will the FBI spend on a "typical" investigation?
There is no typical
expenditure of time, personnel, or money in an FBI investigation. Some investigations
are not complicated and are quickly resolved; others are long-term, complex,
and involve multiple jurisdictions, subjects, and violations.
Can
I obtain detailed information about a current FBI investigation
I see in the news?
No. Such information
is protected from public disclosure, in accordance with current law and DOJ
and FBI policy. This policy preserves the integrity of the investigation
and the privacy of individuals involved in the investigation prior to any
public charging for violations of the law. It also serves to protect the
rights of people not yet charged with a crime.
Does the FBI provide arrest records at the request of private citizens?
Yes. The subject of an identification
record may obtain a copy thereof by submitting a written request.
The request must be accompanied by satisfactory proof of identity (consisting
of name, date and place of birth, and a set of roll-inked fingerprint impressions)
and a certified check or money order for the $18 processing fee. The FBI
will not provide copies of arrest records to individuals other than the subject
of the record.
Who
monitors the FBI?
The FBI's activities
are closely and regularly scrutinized by a variety of entities. Congress,
through several oversight committees in the Senate and House, reviews the
FBI's budget appropriations, programs, and selected investigations. Also,
the results of FBI investigations are often reviewed by the judicial system
during court proceedings. Within the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI
is responsible to the Attorney General, and it reports its findings to United
States Attorneys across the country. Additionally, the FBI's activities are
regularly reviewed and reported by the nation's news media. For more information,
see Responding To Your Concerns: Checks and Balances
on the FBI.
|
Background
Investigations
|
What
type of applicants does the FBI investigate?
The FBI conducts background investigations
on all persons who apply for employment with the FBI.
Additionally, the FBI conducts background investigations
for certain other government entities, such as the
White House, Department of Justice, Administrative
Office of the U.S. Courts, and certain House and Senate
committees.
Who
can obtain the results of such background investigations?
The subject of
a background investigation may request the contents of his or her own report
through the Freedom of Information/Privacy
Acts. The results of background investigations are given to the requesting
government entity. Other government entities that need to assess a person's
suitability for employment or access to classified materials may also request
the results.
|
Fugitives
|
How
many fugitives does the FBI look for at any one time?
Approximately 12,000.
Through the Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution or Confinement statute, the
FBI for many years has been responsible for seeking the country's most wanted,
violent fugitives.
Can
the FBI send "wanted posters" on fugitives
to private citizens?
No.
These items only are made available to law enforcement
or other government agencies in furtherance of the investigations
to locate the fugitives.
Since
the FBI does not send out wanted posters to the public,
is there any way I can see photographs and descriptions
of current FBI fugitives?
As part of our Fugitive Publicity Program, the FBI places photographs and other
information regarding fugitives on our Most Wanted
web site. The FBI's "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" and other
fugitives are included. Additionally, many United States Post Offices display
8" by 8" FBI "wanted posters," officially known as Identification
Orders.
Should
a citizen verify his or her suspicions about criminal
activity before reporting them to the FBI?
Citizens
should never place themselves in harm's way or conduct their own investigations.
Instead, any suspicious activity about matters under FBI jurisdiction should
be reported to the FBI promptly.
|
The FBI and Other Government
and Law Enforcement Agencies
|
How
does the FBI differ from the Central Intelligence Agency?
The CIA has no
law enforcement function. Rather, it collects and analyzes information that
is vital to the formation of U.S. policy, particularly in areas that impact
the security of the nation. The CIA collects information only regarding foreign
countries and their citizens. It is prohibited from collecting information
regarding "U.S. Persons," a term that includes U.S. citizens, resident
aliens, legal immigrants, and U.S. corporations, regardless of where they are
located.
How
does the FBI differ from the Drug Enforcement Administration
and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms?
The FBI is the
primary law enforcement agency for the U.S. Government, charged with enforcement
of over 200 categories of federal laws. The DEA is a single-mission agency
charged with enforcement of drug laws. The ATF is the agency whose primary
investigative responsibility is enforcement of federal firearms statutes
and the investigation of arsons and bombings that are not in furtherance
of terrorism.
What
is the FBI doing to improve its interaction with other
federal law enforcement agencies?
The FBI has long
believed that cooperation is the backbone of effective law enforcement. Due
to limited federal law enforcement resources and increasingly complex criminal
organizations, effective and efficient use of resources is essential. The
FBI routinely cooperates and works closely with all federal law enforcement
agencies on individual joint investigations and through formal task forces
that address broad crime problem areas. On December 4, 2001, the Office
of Law Enforcement Coordination was created
to help improve our coordination and information sharing with state and local
law enforcement and public safety agencies.
Does
the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program involve other
law enforcement agencies?
Yes. In
2003 the UCR Program received
crime data from more than 17,000 law enforcement agencies, representing 93
percent of the U.S. population. The UCR Program collects information on serious
crimes reported to law enforcement agencies.
Does
the FBI exchange fingerprint or arrest information
with domestic and foreign police agencies?
Yes. Identification
and criminal history information may be disclosed to federal, state, or local
law enforcement agencies or any agency directly engaged in criminal justice
activity. As well, such information may be disclosed to any foreign or international
agency consistent with international treaties, conventions, and executive
agreements, where such disclosure may assist the recipient in the performance
of a law enforcement function.
What
is the FBI's policy on sharing information in its files
with domestic or foreign investigative agencies or
with other governmental entities?
Through what
is known as the National Name Check Program, limited information from the
FBI's central records system is disseminated in response to requests by other
entities lawfully authorized to receive it. These entities include other
federal agencies in the Executive Branch, congressional committees, the federal
judiciary, some foreign police and intelligence agencies, and state and local
agencies within the criminal justice system. The FBI's central records system
contains information regarding applicant, personnel, administrative actions,
and criminal and security/intelligence matters. Dissemination of FBI information
is made strictly in accordance with provisions of the Privacy Act; Title
5, United States Code, Section 552a; FBI policy and procedures regarding
discretionary release of information in accordance with the Privacy Act;
and other applicable federal orders and directives.
Do
FBI Special Agents work with state, local, or other
law enforcement officers on "task forces"?
Yes. We work
with other agencies to investigate violations of many of the criminal laws
that the FBI is charged to enforce. Task forces have proven to be a very
effective way for the FBI and state and local law enforcement to join together
to address specific crime problems. In law enforcement, "concurrent
jurisdiction" may exist, whereby a crime may be a local, state, and
federal violation all at the same time. Task forces concentrate on terrorism,
organized crime, narcotics, bank robberies, kidnapping, and motor vehicle
theft.
What
training assistance is afforded local law enforcement
officers?
The FBI offers
several training opportunities. The FBI
National Academy, founded in 1935, provides college-level training to mid-level
state, local, and foreign police officers. The FBI National Academy is located
in the same facility as the FBI Academy, where
the Bureau trains its own employees, at Quantico, Virginia. As part of the
FBI's Field Police Training Program, qualified FBI police instructors provide
training assistance at local, county, and state law enforcement training
facilities to improve the investigative, managerial, administrative, and
technical skills of local officers. This training program strengthens the
cooperative effort between the FBI and local agencies in protecting the public.
What
is the Critical Incident Response Group?
The FBI's Critical Incident Response
Group (CIRG) provides rapid assistance to incidents in a crisis. Through
CIRG, expert assistance is available in cases involving the abduction or
mysterious disappearance of children, crisis management, hostage negotiation,
criminal investigative analysis, and special weapons and tactics. CIRG also
assists in the assessment, selection, and training of FBI undercover employees.
What
is IAFIS?
The Integrated Automated Fingerprint
Identification System, implemented in July 1999, replaces
the former paper-based system for identifying and searching
criminal history records. It supports a law enforcement
agency's ability to digitally record fingerprints and electronically
exchange information with the FBI. Manual steps have been
reduced and processing speeds increased.
What is the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in Budapest?
The ILEA is a multinational effort organized by the United States,
the government of Hungary, and other international training partners. A broad
spectrum of U.S. federal law enforcement agencies and the Department of State
are engaged in a cooperative effort to provide assistance to our police colleagues
in the emerging democracies through training. Other countries throughout
the world are actively supporting this initiative by providing instructors.
Representatives from the European Union and the Council of Europe also have
participated. In addition, the FBI conducts extensive police training in
foreign countries. This training not only aids the foreign countries but
substantially helps the FBI investigate international crime aimed at U.S.
citizens and interests.
Does
the FBI Laboratory conduct examinations of evidence
for anyone other than the FBI?
Yes. In addition
to performing examinations for its own cases, the FBI Laboratory conducts scientific
examinations of evidence, free of charge, for any duly constituted federal,
state, and/or local law enforcement organization within the United States.
Such services also may be made available to foreign law enforcement agencies
under special agreement between the Attorney General and the Secretary of
State.
Does the FBI conduct fingerprint
card checks or examine items for latent fingerprints
at the request of private citizens?
The FBI provides
fingerprint card checks for certain licensing and employment purposes. Latent
fingerprint examinations are conducted only for duly constituted law enforcement
agencies.
|
Counterterrorism
|
What
is the FBI's role in counterterrorism?
The FBI's role
is to protect the U.S. and U.S. persons and interests throughout the world
from terrorist attack. This is accomplished through professional investigation,
intelligence activities, and coordinated efforts with local, state, federal,
and foreign entities as appropriate.
Does the FBI share information on terrorists with other domestic and
foreign law enforcement agencies?
Countering terrorism effectively requires the exchange of information and
close, daily coordination among U.S. law enforcement, intelligence, and service
entities, as well as international law enforcement agencies. An example of
this cooperation includes the Terrorist
Threat Integration Center.
What
is the FBI's responsibility in bombing cases?
The FBI investigates
the malicious damaging or destruction, by means of an explosive, of property
used in interstate or foreign commerce. These matters include the bombing
or attempted bombing of college or university facilities and incidents that
appear to have been perpetrated by terrorist or revolutionary groups. The
FBI also investigates bombings in the U.S. and overseas when the incident
was an act of terrorism against U.S. persons or interests. It collects evidence,
interviews witnesses, develops leads, and identifies and apprehends the person
or persons responsible. The FBI assists U.S. Attorneys in preparing evidence
or exhibits for trial as well.
Does
the FBI investigate hate groups in the United States?
The FBI investigates
domestic hate groups within guidelines established by the Attorney General.
Investigations are conducted only when three criteria are met: a threat or
advocacy of force is made; the group has the apparent ability to carry out
the proclaimed act; and the act would constitute a potential violation of
federal law.
Does the FBI "monitor" any potential terrorist groups in
the United States?
The FBI is bound by guidelines issued by the Attorney General that establish
a consistent policy on when an investigation may be initiated. Through these
guidelines, the FBI obtains authorization to collect information. The facts
are analyzed and then used to prevent terrorist activity and, whenever possible,
to aid in the arrest and prosecution of persons or groups who have violated
the law.
What action does the FBI take when a foreign group linked to terrorism
abroad has members in the United States?
The approach taken by the FBI in counterterrorism investigations is based
on the need both to prevent incidents where possible and to react effectively
after incidents occur. Our investigations focus on the unlawful activity
of the group, not the ideological orientation of its members. When conducting
investigations, the FBI collects information that not only serves as the
basis for prosecution, but also builds an intelligence base to help prevent
terrorist acts.
What
concerns do the FBI and the law enforcement community
have regarding the growing use of encryption products
by the public, both domestically and abroad?
Law enforcement
is extremely concerned about the serious threat posed by the use of robust
encryption products that do not allow for authorized access or the timely
decryption of critical evidence obtained through lawful electronic surveillance
and search and seizure. On one hand, encryption is extremely beneficial when
used legitimately to protect commercially sensitive information and communications.
On the other hand, the potential use of such products by criminals or terrorists
raises a tremendous threat to public safety and national security. In view
of this, law enforcement supports a balanced encryption policy that meets
both commercial and individual needs as well as law enforcement needs. The
FBI has found that robust encryption, combined with a key escrow feature
that permits court-authorized access to "plain text," is the only
way to achieve these two goals without seriously jeopardizing public safety.
|
Foreign Counterintelligence
|
What
is the FBI's foreign counterintelligence responsibility?
As the country's
lead counterintelligence agency, the FBI is responsible for detecting and lawfully
countering actions of foreign intelligence services and organizations that
employ human and technical means to gather information about the United States
that adversely affects U.S. national interests. The espionage or "spying" activities
may involve the acquisition of classified, sensitive, or proprietary information
from the U.S. government or U.S. companies. The FBI will investigate wherever
a foreign entity conducts clandestine intelligence activities in the U.S.
What is "economic espionage"?
Economic espionage is foreign power-sponsored or coordinated intelligence activity
directed at the U.S. government or U.S. corporations, establishments, or persons
designed to unlawfully and clandestinely obtain sensitive financial, trade, or
economic policy information; proprietary economic information; critical technologies;
or to unlawfully or clandestinely influence sensitive economic policy decisions.
This theft, through open and clandestine methods, can provide foreign entities
with a treasure of proprietary economic information at a fraction of the true
cost of their research and development, causing significant economic loss.
Do
foreign spies always operate undercover?
No. Espionage
can be committed by almost anyone. Recent surveys indicate that most technology
lost can be attributed to insiders in U.S. corporations. Espionage subjects
often act on their own to fulfill requests of foreign intelligence services.
Has
the use of space satellites, listening devices, and
other advanced technology reduced the importance of
the human foreign spy?
The human factor
in espionage always will remain important. The use of high technology gives
the intelligence officer anonymity. Thus, high technology enhances the efforts
of foreign spies but does not replace them entirely.
Has
the ending of the Cold War reduced the amount of espionage?
No. Traditional
espionage has changed, with new threats from nontraditional countries. In
some areas espionage has increased and actually has become more difficult
to assess and predict.
Why
do we so seldom hear about arrests for espionage?
Only failed attempts
at espionage lead to arrests. Espionage and espionage-related matters, which
cost the nation an estimated $100 billion per year, differ from the FBI's
criminal investigations in that arrest and prosecution is not and cannot
be the ultimate goal. Most FBI responses to foreign intelligence activity
result in neutralizing the threat, rather than by making arrests, and therefore
are not known to the public.
How
can citizens help the FBI protect the U.S. from foreign
intelligence operations?
Citizens can
raise their own security awareness and report any suspected espionage activity
to the FBI. Apparent espionage activity would include unauthorized attempts
to view records or plans; scavenging through trash; eavesdropping on live
or telephone conversations; questions from persons who have no need to know
certain information to do their job; or persons found outside their normal
work areas or at unusual hours. Security awareness is vital to our national
interests.
|
Other Investigative Priorities
|
What
steps are being taken by the FBI to reduce violent
crime in America, particularly that committed by gangs?
The FBI is the
principal federal agency with jurisdiction to address violent street gangs.
It conducts investigations on these groups through its Safe Streets Initiative
with other law enforcement partners. The FBI has also developed National Violent
Crime, Drug, and Gang Strategies that together serve as the framework for combating
violence in the United States.
Does
the FBI keep statistics on criminal offenses committed
in the United States?
Yes. The
FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR)
Program, which began in 1929, collects information on serious crimes reported
to law enforcement agencies. The categories are homicide, forcible rape,
robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, theft, motor vehicle theft,
and arson. The Program also collects information on hate crimes and on persons
arrested for twenty-two other less serious crime categories. Hate crime offenses
cover incidents motivated by race, religion, sexual orientation, and ethnicity/national
origin.
What
is white-collar crime and how is the FBI combating
it?
White-collar
crime is non-violent in nature and includes health care fraud, corporate
fraud, government fraud, and telemarketing fraud, to name a few. The FBI
is actively pursuing a number of investigations to combat white-collar crime.
A plan is in place to target check fraud and counterfeit negotiable instruments
by organized groups. The FBI also is concentrating on mortgage loan fraud.
There are also joint ventures including The White Collar Crime Center and
the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
How is the FBI fighting organized crime, particularly international
organized crime?
The FBI uses a variety of laws, asset forfeiture statutes, and sophisticated
investigative techniques in its domestic and international cases. The criminal
and civil provisions of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations
(RICO) statute are a particularly suited to dismantle criminal organizations.
These investigations frequently utilize undercover operations, court-authorized
electronic surveillance, informants and cooperating witnesses, and consensual
monitoring. Many of these are conducted with foreign and domestic police agencies.
The FBI operates under an organized crime/drug strategy that focuses its investigations
on major international, national, and regional groups that control large segments
of the illegal activities.
What is the FBI doing about drug trafficking?
The FBI has determined that the most effective means of combating this crime
is to use the Enterprise Theory of Investigation, which focuses investigations
and prosecutions on entire criminal enterprises rather than on individuals.
Through this process, all aspects of the criminal operation can be identified.
The Theory supports not only the prosecution of the criminal enterprise, but
also the seizure of the enterprise's assets and is intended to disrupt or dismantle
entire criminal organizations.
Does the FBI investigate graft and corruption in local government
and in state and local police departments?
Yes. The FBI uses applicable federal laws, including the Hobbs Act, to investigate
violations by public officials in federal, state, and local governments. A
public official is any person elected, appointed, employed, or otherwise has
a duty to maintain honest and faithful public service. Most violations occur
when the official asks, demands, solicits, accepts, receives, or agrees to
receive something of value in return for influence in the performance of an
official act. The categories of public corruption investigated by the FBI include
legislative, judicial, regulatory, contractual, and law enforcement.
Does the FBI investigate computer-related crime?
Yes. The FBI is charged with investigating computer-related crimes involving
both criminal acts and national security issues. Examples of criminal acts
would be using a computer to commit fraud or using the Internet to transmit
obscene material. In the national security area, the FBI investigates criminal
matters involving the nation's computerized banking and financial systems;
the various "911" emergency networks; and telecommunications systems.
See FBI Cyber Investigations for more
information.
|
Civil Rights
|
How
does the FBI protect the civil rights of people in
the United States?
The FBI investigates
all violations of federal civil rights statutes.
The results of such investigations are given to the Department of Justice,
which determines prosecution. Civil rights violations fall into several categories:
racial or religious discrimination; color of law-use of excessive force or
police misconduct; involuntary servitude or slavery; the Voting Rights Act
of 1965; the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Equal Credit Opportunity Act; Freedom
of Access to Clinic Entrances Act; and the Civil Rights of Institutionalized
Persons Act.
What are the most typical civil rights violations?
The most common complaint involves allegations of excessive use of force by law
enforcement personnel causing injuries or death. Approximately 40 to 50 law enforcement
personnel are convicted of this offense each year. Another common complaint involves
racial violence, such as physical assaults, homicides, verbal or written threats,
or desecration of property.
|
FBI Employment
|
How
do I apply for a job at the FBI?
Please visit our employment webpage to
apply for a job and to find answers to frequently asked questions about careers
in the FBI. The questions and answers address many topics including support positions,
the Special Agent application process, and FBI background investigations.
|
|
|