Keith Mack
The FBI has a broad range of legal authorities that enable it to investigate federal crimes, threats to national security, and public corruption, as well as assist other law enforcement agencies. While the FBI has primary jurisdiction over certain federal offenses, state and local law enforcement agencies are not subordinate to the FBI. The FBI does not supervise or take over their investigations but often collaborates with them to investigate and solve cases, especially when it comes to locating fugitives and addressing serious threats like terrorism and street violence. The FBI also investigates civil rights violations, hate crimes, and public corruption, including that of law enforcement officials. The FBI's activities are scrutinized by entities like Congress, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Director of National Intelligence.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Relationship with local law enforcement | State and local law enforcement agencies are not subordinate to the FBI, and the FBI does not supervise or take over their investigations. Instead, the FBI and state and local agencies often pool resources and work together. |
| Jurisdiction | The FBI investigates federal crimes, including those that cross state lines or affect interstate commerce. |
| Investigative tools | The FBI has a wide range of investigative tools and resources, including technical assistance, forensic analysis, and other resources. |
| Types of crimes investigated | Counterterrorism, counterintelligence, cyber, public corruption, civil rights, transnational organized crime, white-collar crime, violent crime, and weapons of mass destruction. |
| FBI oversight | The FBI's activities are scrutinized by Congress, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Director of National Intelligence. |
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What You'll Learn
- FBI's investigative programs: counterterrorism, counterintelligence, cyber, public corruption, civil rights, transnational organized crime, white collar crime, violent crime, and weapons of mass destruction
- FBI's authority: presidential executive orders, federal statutes, federal regulations, and attorney general directives
- FBI's assistance to local law enforcement: technical assistance, forensic analysis, and other resources
- FBI's involvement in local police investigations: national security, joint task forces, and federal crimes
- FBI's relationship with state and local law enforcement: not subordinate to the FBI, investigative resources are pooled
FBI's investigative programs: counterterrorism, counterintelligence, cyber, public corruption, civil rights, transnational organized crime, white collar crime, violent crime, and weapons of mass destruction
State and local law enforcement agencies are not subordinate to the FBI, and the FBI does not supervise or take over their investigations. Instead, the FBI and state and local agencies often pool their investigative resources to solve cases. Many task forces are composed of FBI agents and state and local officers to locate fugitives and address serious threats like terrorism and street violence.
Counterterrorism
The FBI's counterterrorism investigations focus on the unlawful activity of groups and individuals, not their ideological orientation. The FBI collects information to serve as the basis for prosecution and to build an intelligence base to help prevent future terrorist acts. The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs) are the US's front line on terrorism. The FBI also participates in the National Counterterrorism Center and fusion centers.
Counterintelligence
The FBI is the lead agency for exposing, preventing, and investigating intelligence activities, including espionage, in the US. The FBI works with the National Counterintelligence and Security Center to raise public awareness and inform industries of the threats they face through outreach activities.
Cyber
The FBI leads the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force (NCIJTF), a task force of more than 30 co-located agencies from the Intelligence Community and law enforcement. The FBI has cyber squads in each of its 56 field offices, working with interagency task force partners. The FBI works closely with international counterparts to seek justice for victims of malicious cyber activity.
Public Corruption
The FBI investigates violations of federal law by public officials at the federal, state, and local levels of government. The FBI works with state and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and non-governmental organizations to combat public corruption.
Civil Rights
The FBI is the primary federal agency responsible for investigating possible violations of federal civil rights statutes. The FBI works with its partners to prevent and address hate crimes, color of law violations, and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act violations. Investigating hate crimes is the highest priority of the FBI's civil rights program.
Transnational Organized Crime
The FBI is dedicated to eliminating transnational organized crime groups that threaten the national and economic security of the US. The FBI established the National Stolen Art File (NSAF) – a computerized index of stolen art and cultural property. The FBI also formed a specialized Art Crime Team to investigate art and cultural property crime cases.
White Collar Crime
The FBI's white-collar crime program focuses on analyzing intelligence and solving complex investigations, often with a connection to organized crime activities. These investigations can be regional, national, and/or international. The FBI investigates corporate fraud, securities and commodities fraud, financial institution fraud, mortgage fraud, and fraud for profit.
Violent Crime
The FBI works with its law enforcement partners to combat violent crime involving gangs, crimes against children, crimes in Indian Country, fugitives and missing persons, kidnappings, and bank robberies. The FBI also investigates crimes aboard aircraft and crimes on the high seas, like piracy and cruise ship violations.
Weapons of Mass Destruction
The FBI is the lead federal agency for responding to threats from weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The FBI investigates the threatened, attempted, or actual use of a WMD, as well as the transfer of materials, knowledge, and technology needed to create a WMD.
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FBI's authority: presidential executive orders, federal statutes, federal regulations, and attorney general directives
The FBI has a broad range of legal authorities that enable it to investigate federal crimes and threats to national security, as well as to gather intelligence and assist other law enforcement agencies. These authorities are derived from various sources, including presidential executive orders, federal statutes, federal regulations, and attorney general directives.
Presidential executive orders are official directives issued by the President of the United States to manage the operations of the federal government. They are rooted in Article II of the US Constitution, which grants the President broad executive and enforcement authority. Executive orders can carry significant weight and influence over the internal affairs of the government, including law enforcement agencies such as the FBI. For example, President Donald Trump's executive order, "Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States," temporarily banned the entry of citizens from several Muslim-majority countries.
Federal statutes also play a crucial role in granting authority to the FBI. These statutes, enacted by Congress, provide a legal framework for the FBI's operations. For instance, Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 3052, authorizes FBI special agents and officials to make arrests, carry firearms, and serve warrants.
Additionally, federal regulations, such as those outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations, provide further specifications on the FBI's authority. For example, Title 28, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 0.85, delegates the authority to appoint officials to investigate and prosecute crimes against the United States from the Attorney General to the FBI Director.
Lastly, attorney general directives, such as EO 12333 and its subsequent amendments, outline the guidelines for intelligence agencies, including the FBI, to collect, retain, and disseminate information about "U.S. persons." These directives are approved by the Attorney General and play a crucial role in governing intelligence operations.
While the FBI has a wide range of investigative powers, it is worth noting that state and local law enforcement agencies are not subordinate to the FBI. Instead, they often work together by pooling resources and forming task forces to address serious threats and locate fugitives.
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FBI's assistance to local law enforcement: technical assistance, forensic analysis, and other resources
The FBI offers a range of resources to assist local law enforcement agencies, including technical assistance and forensic analysis. While the FBI does not have supervisory power over local law enforcement, the two often work together, pooling resources to investigate and solve cases. This collaboration extends to the formation of task forces comprising FBI agents and local officers to tackle serious issues such as locating fugitives, terrorism, and street violence.
The FBI Laboratory is a key resource, offering advanced technical support and consultation to federal, state, local, and even international agencies. The lab provides research and support in biological, chemical, and physical forensic analysis, operational response, and biometrics. The lab's personnel are equipped with advanced technologies, such as computer-aided design (CAD), three-dimensional (3D) modelling, and computer animation, to create detailed crime scene reconstructions, models, and digital photography. The FBI's Hazardous Evidence Analysis Team (HEAT) within the lab is unique in its capacity to conduct forensic examinations on evidence contaminated with CBRN materials.
The FBI's National Bioforensic Analysis Center (NBFAC) is another vital resource, offering bioforensic analysis capabilities. The NBFAC's biocontainment laboratories ensure that contaminated evidence can be analysed without the risk of biological agent contamination. The FBI's Facial Forensic Services Program also assists with forensic facial imaging, employing experts in craniofacial anatomy and art to create composite sketches and modify digital images for investigative purposes, such as age progression in missing persons cases.
Additionally, the FBI provides training to federal, state, and local forensic examiners, particularly in the area of questioned documents. The FBI also assists local law enforcement agencies by sharing information and resources through its "Wanted by the FBI" website, which contains information on fugitives, terrorists, missing persons, and other wanted individuals. This sharing of resources and collaboration between the FBI and local law enforcement agencies helps to strengthen their collective efforts in fighting crime and protecting the public.
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FBI's involvement in local police investigations: national security, joint task forces, and federal crimes
While state and local law enforcement agencies are not subordinate to the FBI, and the FBI does not supervise or take over their investigations, the two often work together. The FBI and local law enforcement agencies pool their investigative resources in a common effort to investigate and solve cases. This collaboration often takes the form of joint task forces, especially in cases of serious threats like terrorism and street violence.
National Security
The FBI is the lead federal agency for investigating cyberattacks by criminals, overseas adversaries, and terrorists. They also lead in exposing, preventing, and investigating intelligence activities, including espionage, in the US. The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs) are the front line of defense against terrorism, both international and domestic. These task forces are composed of investigators, analysts, linguists, and other specialists from various US law enforcement and intelligence agencies. They work to gather evidence, make arrests, provide security, collect and share intelligence, and respond to threats and incidents. There are about 200 JTTFs across the country, including at least one in each of the FBI's 55 field offices, with hundreds of participating state, local, and federal agencies.
Joint Task Forces
In addition to the JTTFs, the FBI also collaborates with local law enforcement through other joint task forces. These task forces often focus on specific types of crimes, such as violent crime involving gangs, crimes against children, crimes in Indian Country, fugitives and missing persons, kidnappings, and bank robberies. The FBI's investigative and intelligence capabilities are used to neutralize domestic extremists and help dismantle terrorist networks worldwide.
Federal Crimes
The FBI investigates criminal cases that have violated US laws intended to protect the environment, human health, worker safety, and animal welfare. They also enforce civil rights laws, aggressively investigating hate crimes, human trafficking, public corruption, and election crimes. The FBI's Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate investigates and works to prevent incidents involving nuclear, radiological, biological, or chemical weapons.
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FBI's relationship with state and local law enforcement: not subordinate to the FBI, investigative resources are pooled
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a federal law enforcement agency that investigates federal crimes and threats to national security. While the FBI has a wide range of investigative tools and resources, it does not supervise or take over investigations of state and local law enforcement agencies. State and local law enforcement agencies are not subordinate to the FBI. Instead, the FBI and state and local agencies often pool their investigative resources to form task forces that work together to investigate and solve cases, locate fugitives, and address serious threats like terrorism and street violence.
The FBI's investigative programs include counterterrorism, counterintelligence, cybercrime, public corruption, civil rights, transnational organized crime, white-collar crime, violent crime, and weapons of mass destruction. The FBI also assists other law enforcement agencies and plays a key role in combating violent crime involving gangs, crimes against children, crimes in Indian Country, fugitives and missing persons, kidnappings, and bank robberies.
The FBI's activities are closely scrutinized by Congress, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Director of National Intelligence. The FBI also conducts background investigations for jobs within the FBI and certain other government entities. The FBI provides technical assistance, forensic analysis, and other resources to local law enforcement agencies.
While the FBI has a broad mandate to investigate federal crimes and national security threats, it does not have jurisdiction over all types of crimes. For example, the FBI may assist in investigating felony killings of state law enforcement officers, violent crimes against interstate travelers, and serial killers if requested by a state law enforcement official. The FBI is also specifically designated as the primary investigative agency for certain federal offenses, such as the Congressional Assassination, Kidnapping, and Assault Act, and Fraud and Related Activity in Connection with Computers.
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Frequently asked questions
No, state and local law enforcement agencies are not subordinate to the FBI, and the FBI does not supervise or take over their investigations. However, the FBI can provide support to local law enforcement agencies in the form of technical assistance, forensic analysis, and other resources.
Yes, the FBI investigates and enforces federal laws. This includes crimes such as bank robbery, extortion, kidnapping, and public corruption.
Yes, the FBI has a mandate to uphold civil rights and investigates cases of hate crimes, human trafficking, violation of individual civil rights, and discrimination.
Yes, FBI agents are responsible for investigating activities related to national security, including espionage, terrorism, and international organized crime. They also investigate violations of import and export control laws, as well as international arms trafficking.
